The Fallen Masters
by Knightwood
Summary: Not all the Pai Zhuq Masters were great defenders of humanity. 10,000 years ago three betrayed the Order of the Claw
1. The Powerful Three

OK, this is somewhat of a JF fic, but it is set LONG before the events of the series. Not all the masters have been legendary defenders. This is the tale of the fall of three of the ancient masters.

**The Fallen Masters**

**Legal: **I do not own the rights to Power Rangers, or the associated characters, places, names, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights is to be considered the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T – for adult themes.

**Timeline:** 10,000 years before the events of Jungle Fury, in the original temple within the Jungle of Spirits.

A still breeze whistled through her hair as the young Pai Zhuq student dispensed with her second challenge. Her ritual trial had been everything she expected and more, testing every inch of her strength and power. She ran onward on the path through the Jungle of Spirits, heading back towards the temple and her destiny.

Her master, Master Bubo had been her whole world since she was an infant, and she had every intention of making him proud. Shen was a small girl. Even at 18 she had barely broken the five-foot mark, and was of incredibly slight build as befitted her animal spirit. Master Bubo had taken her in as an infant and raised her in the temple. More than just his prized student, he had raised her as his daughter. Since he had trained her, she had quickly found a place among the elite of their students, and Master Bubo had finally seen fit to recommend her for her Master's trial.

She swept her long, silky black hair out of her face as she pushed through the last of the undergrowth, finding herself confronted by the third and final arch, leading back into the temple. She smiled as she stepped into the courtyard, seeing that the sun was still high in the sky over the tree line. She still had time to defeat whichever of the masters had been chosen to stand as her final challenge. Making her way over to the plinth to instigate her final challenge, she touched the statue depicting the humming bird, her animal spirit. She heard a feral snarl behind her and her blood froze.

Turning slowly, she gulped slowly as she faced the one Master she'd prayed she wouldn't have to.

He towered over at over six feet, and unusually for an Asian man, he was hugely muscular, exceeding 230 pounds easily. A vicious scar ran from under his hair-line, through his right eye, which was a lifeless, milky white marble, the souvenir of one of his many vicious battles. Master Arctos was one of the most powerful masters ever to enter the temple, but then as the son of the legendary Master Ursa that was no surprise.

The second Bear Master held a sense of pride in his family's place in the temple's history, even though it was his father's murder at Dai Shi's hands that had announced Dai Shi's plans and started the Beast War. Master Arctos was also just as hard and unreasonable as his father had been. He was a tough trainer anyway, torturing even the students he respected, but just like his father he was very old-fashioned, and opposed the temple's new policy of allowing women to train there. He had a fair few supporters, more so considering the fact that one of the first female students, Camille, had defected to Dai Shi, but that didn't stop the temple from taking in women. In the end, the decision was Master Bobo's as head of the temple, and he was never going to speak against his "daughter".

"You think you're fit to carry the title of master?" He sneered dismissively. "Come on Shen; show me what you've learned in 17 years."

The student prepared a guard nervously as the Bear Master approached her. She knew that he was powerful, but more than that he was sadistic, and regularly took the opportunity to demonstrate his superiority over the students, especially the women. She threw a fast kick towards his chest, only to be blocked and tossed to the floor with ease.

"Come on birdie, you have to do better than that!" He snarled.

Shen got back to her feet, feeling her anger growing at his taunting. She cast forth her humming-bird spirit, launching it into an attack. Arctos took the hit, staggering backwards a few paces, before glaring back at her laughing.

"Is that meant to hurt?" He asked her. Shen though had rushed back to the statue, retrieving her weapon of choice, the deadly zetsukon.

"So you want to fight with the adults now?" He asked her, pulling a pair of evil-looking Bear Claw weapons from his belt and gripping them tightly. He surged forward, slamming the first of them into her guard, sending the student sprawling to the floor. She pulled herself back up, clutching a deep wound in her arm.

"Aren't you ready to give up yet?" He asked her. "Let's do something about that."

He surged forward once more, raking one of his claws across her abdomen, before dropping the weapons. He grabbed her, picking her up and swinging her through the air, sending her crashing through the humming bird statue. Shen struggled on the floor, but the pain in her ribs wouldn't allow her to continue. She had failed. Arctos paced impatiently, considering his opponent. He was considering continuing when the spirit of the Hawk Owl heralded the arrival of Master Bobo.

"That is ENOUGH Arctos!" He barked authoritatively, standing in her defence as the healers rushed to her side. "Shen is defeated, you will stand down!"

Arctos growled defiantly at his superior. Bobo always coddled that little waif; Arctos had only done his duty. He had been the one selected randomly to test her suitability to become a master, it was his duty to try and stop her.

"I merely stopped her as I was supposed to." He stated dryly. "Do not blame me if she is too weak to defeat me."

"Your duty is to stop her, not cripple her!" Bobo snapped in response. "You could have killed her!"

"She has failed, accept the fact and move on...sir." Arctos sneered as he turned his back to walk away. Arctos just shook his head in defeat and turned his attention back to the injured student. Arctos was troublesome, but he was also a Master. He respected his fellow Master's accomplishment in attaining his rank, but his attitude to others always grated on him. The Bear Master was powerful, and he knew it. His arrogance was by far his biggest failing. Seeing Shen writhing in pain on the ground, Master Bobo was only just able to restrain himself from attacking him in retaliation. He knew the Masters needed to stick together if they were to defeat Dai Shi.

"She's a tough one. I don't know how, but her ribs aren't broken." One of the healers told him, knowing how concerned he was over her. Master Bobo looked down on the look of agony in her face. Tears ran down her olive skin, and blood stained her uniform from her injuries. She grunted in pain as they forced her out of her curled position to get a better look at her injuries. "It doesn't look like she's in any serious danger, but she'll be as sore as hell for a few weeks."

"I failed you." She muttered through her pained gasps as she desperately tried to regain her breath. "I'm sorry father."

Master Bobo smiled at her warmly, running a hand through her hair. During one of his early battles against Dai Shi's fortress, he had come across a village that had been completely decimated by his forces. As he searched the wreckage for casualties, he found her crying in the wreckage. It was already too late for her parents, but he couldn't leave the child behind. He had raised her as his own since that day. He still loved it when she called him "father".

"You haven't failed me." He replied gently. "You did well. I'm proud of you."

"We should get her back to the infirmary." One of the healers interrupted. "She'll be fine Master Bobo, I promise."

The two healers lifted her gently and carried her away. Master Bobo watched her go with a slight look of regret on his face, barely even noticing the chief healer arriving. He cleared his throat to announce his arrival.

"You know, you should report this to the elders." He reminded him. "His conduct was disrespectful. He should be reprimanded."

"Please, if I got Arctos and his two cronies reprimanded every time they disrespected me, I'd never be out of their chambers." He replied. "I don't think it's any secret they think I should step aside Huan."

"The elders chose you." Huan reminded him. "Arctos is strong, but he is rash and arrogant."

"That may be." Bobo sighed. "But like it or not, they are masters."

"They might be masters, but you lead this temple." Huan told him. "Think about that."

Master Bobo knew he had a point, but he just couldn't face it right now. He was too worried about Shen. He knew it was an issue he'd have to deal with eventually, but he always hoped that they would come to accept the Elder's decision to place him in charge and move on.

Meanwhile, a young Caucasian woman made her way through the temple purposefully. Her students had been dismissed for the day; she had a far more important matter to attend to. She wasn't like most of the other inhabitants of the temple. Despite Master Bobo's mandate to allow women into the temple, there still were not many female students. This woman though had attained what many believed to be impossible. The stripes on her arm confirmed her to be the first ever female Pai Zhuq Master.

Master Aurelia was a hauntingly beautiful woman. She was slender, and graceful in a way that was totally unrepresentative of her dangerous power. Her skin was as pale alabaster, and her hair was a deep, chestnut brown. Smiling broadly, she looked around to ensure she wasn't followed as she made her way to the waterfall.

There she crouched in the bushes as she watched him showering. Despite everything that had changed in the temple in the last few years, the one thing that hadn't was that the Masters were required by tradition to take a vow of chastity. Aurelia was not in the least concerned at first. She had been young when she came to the temple, and had been thoroughly dedicated to her studies. She had never thought about what it would mean to consider another as a partner. However, she hadn't taken one thing into account. Joining the temple so young, she had gone through puberty at the temple, and so had been forced to deal with her strengthening feelings largely on her own. It wasn't as though she could talk with her masters about them.

She watched as Master Merielax Slowly dried himself, taking in every inch of his gloriously toned body. She was breathless any time she had a chance to see him undressed. He was a tall, Asian man, with a highly athletic build, the result of many years of study. His hair was long, and a little unkempt, giving him a slightly predatory appearance. He gathered his clothing, making his way into the undergrowth. Aurelia couldn't help being a little disappointed that he had gone.

"You know we really should be more subtle." Merielax chuckled from behind her, causing him to jump. She always hated it when he did that. The Master of the Hawk spirit moved very quickly, and almost completely silently when he wanted to. The predatory nature of his animal spirit made him a master of sneak attacks, a fact he used many times to frighten her. "The Owl had a long gaze."

"That's never stopped us before." She said seductively, rising from her hiding place in the bushes. She turned towards him with a smirk as she took his hands, placing them around her as she pulled close.

"Out here?" Merielax asked cheekily. "You like living dangerously. You know that the elders would not be happy if they knew what we were doing?"

"Ooh the elders!" She responded sarcastically. "We'll be frowned at by a bunch of senile old men. I think I just felt a shiver in my spine."

"I thought the jellyfish was an invertebrate." He chuckled in reference to her animal spirit. She laughed and kissed him passionately. Despite it being forbidden, that just made their affair all the more exciting. They were normally far more discrete than this, taking a chance though was what made it so satisfying. They pulled away a little as they heard the third of their elitist group arriving.

"I never would have thought of you as being a voyeur Arctos." Merielax stated as the Bear Master arrived, causing his lover to giggle nervously. They had indeed been caught, though fortunately it was only by Arctos. The three of them formed a group within the temple that enjoyed a certain prestige. As three of the most powerful masters, they were fearsome warriors, and had enjoyed much success on the battlefield against the forces of Dai Shi. As well as outright power, they also formed a unit that made them a formidable force.

Of course along with their success came pride, pride which quickly turned to arrogance. Seeing themselves as the elite among the temple's warriors, they began to look at others with disdain. The students had even given the nickname of the "Sacred Triad", and many whispered that they would be the three who were destined to bring about Dai Shi's destruction. Those who had seen them in battle, and definitely those who had the misfortune of opposing them found it hard to argue this point.

"You two really should stick to hiding in dormitories and cupboards." Arctos said sarcastically. "The owl might be a weak old fool, but he would think nothing of ordering you to end your relationship."

"Give it a rest Arctos, you'll live longer." Aurelia taunted him. He growled under his breath at her as she released her lover, allowing him to begin getting dressed. "Maybe if you lay off the..."

"What I do and how I train are none of your concern!" He snapped angrily. "I am still the most powerful of the Triad."

"That didn't stop me kicking your butt, remember?" Aurelia taunted him. Arctos snarled, but let the slight drop. Despite his distaste for having women in the temple, he had to afford Aurelia a certain level of respect. While technically the weakest of the three in terms of raw power, she easily made up for it in guile and misdirection. Deception and trickery many would say, but Arctos couldn't deny the fact that it had been him she defeated to earn her Master's stripes. A fact she would taunt him about to get a rise out of him, though only when he was in a comparatively good temper. Playing the Bear Master's nerves was a dangerous game, more than one student could testify to that, but it was a game she played expertly, always stopping just short of causing him to snap.

"Well it'll be a while before we have to worry about him." He grumbled, backing down from her taunts. "He'll be too busy..."

Merielax silenced him by holding a finger to his lips. Arctos turned to see Master Bobo approaching. His Hawk Owl spirit was carrying him in its talons, lifting him through the air on its mighty wings as he searched for his fellow master. He landed a short distance away and recalled it into himself, approaching him aggressively. The look on his face said everything that needed to, but it was clear the Temple Master had more to say.

"How's the girl?" Arctos asked insincerely.

"She'll be fine." Bobo began. "Now why don't you tell me what in the hell your problem is? She was defeated!"

"She needs to grow up if she's ever to become a master." He replied. "Her enemies will have no mercy, why should I? Just because she's your..."

"Her relationship to me is none of your business Arctos." Bobo told him sternly. "If you disrespect the rules of this temple, or any of my students, then you disrespect ME! That is something that will not be tolerated!"

"She'll live." Arctos sneered. "Besides, the exercise is full contact."

"You are taking no students until further notice." Master Bobo declared loudly. "I will inform the Elders of my edict. When you prove yourself worthy to return to teaching, then we'll talk. Until then you would do well to learn to focus all that anger more constructively."

He still felt guilty about the death of Master Ursa. He had been overseeing the challenge between him and Camille in the temple on that fateful day. He should have seen that something about her had changed, but he couldn't until she took her animal form and defeated the old bear dismissively. Although he had acted in accordance with his position, he still didn't foresee the events which would unfold next.

Another student stepped from the ranks and approached, speaking in defence of Camille's actions, insulting the old master.

He could see the rage in the young Arctos's face then. Despite not being his true son, much like Shen was not his daughter, Ursa had raised him as an infant since his father signed him over to the temple. He was the only father Arctos had ever known. They could only watch in horror as the unnamed student broke his neck, bringing death to the temple for the first time since its creation. It stood in Bobo's mind as one of his greatest failures. Arctos had carried a lot of anger with him since the loss of his adoptive father, and Bobo's guilt had led to him giving the young bear a lot of patience over the years. Now though, he was beginning to regret that decision.

"I sense a disturbance in the forest. It is Dai Shi's warriors." Master Bobo declared. "I must take care of Shen. Do not disappoint me Arctos."

"As if I could." He sneered in response as the three arrogant young warriors brushed past the old master. "I am still the mightiest..."

Master Bobo snarled as he drew his short-sword, levelling it over Arctos' shoulder, the keen edge grazing his cheek.

"Do not deign to challenge me Arctos." Master Bobo warned him more seriously. By now all three of the sacred triad could tell he had over-stepped the mark. "Do remember that it took you three attempts to earn your stripes, and do not forget that it was I that defeated you both times you failed."

The triad left without another word. Master Bobo meanwhile made his way to the infirmary to check on the condition of his prized student.

Shen lay on the bed as the healers checked on her condition. Master Bobo arrived just as Huan had finished administering a pain-relieving remedy.

"How bad is it?" He asked the chief healer.

"Nothing was broken, which is a miracle in itself." He replied, listing her injuries. "She has more than a few deep muscle bruises, and the lacerations to her abdomen went a little deeper than I thought. There was some muscle damage, so I've got her on a course of Ling-Shu potion to repair the muscle tissue faster.

"I trust you." Master Bobo responded to this last assertion. The healers were skilled in the use of herbal remedies, and had many near-miraculous medicines, though some were not without their risks. Ling-Shu was a potion which had been all but completely outlawed by the temple. While it assisted in the regeneration and growth of muscle tissue with impressive results, long-term use was dangerous, and gravely affected the state of mind of the user. In the temple, only Huan was allowed to know how to brew the potion to control its use, swearing only to pass the secret on to another before he passed on. Shen and Master Bobo both knew the potential dangers, but it was unlikely she'd recover for many months, if at all without it. Huan didn't prescribe the dangerous medication for fun.

He knelt down beside Shen's bed as Huan left. He gently stroked her hair and she stirred at his touch, turning to face him. Tears ran down her face, troubling the old master.

"Does is still hurt?" He asked her. "I can get Huan to come back..."

"I'm alright." She sighed. "I failed the trial."

"Yes, you did my child." He said sadly. "It was not yet your time."

"I'm sorry father." She muttered.

"You have nothing to apologise for, you did your best." He told her sagely. "You are not the first student to fail, and I sincerely doubt you will be the last."

"He defeated me easily." She sobbed. "I never knew I was so weak."

"Master Arctos is a powerful foe." The old master conceded. "However, no one is infallible. Even he has not always been successful."

"Do you think I'll ever get my stripes?" She asked him, staring up at him with tears sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm certain of it." He answered her cheerfully, wiping away some of her tears. "Just between you and me, Arctos failed twice before he finally earned his stripes."

"Really?" She asked. "Who could have beaten him?"

"Let's just say your old man wasn't always an old man." He replied, ruffling her hair playfully. Shen laughed, but winced as she pulled a little at the stitches in her stomach.

"I'll leave you to rest." He told her. "Goodnight Shen. You did well, I'm proud of you."

"Father!" She called after him. Master Bobo stopped in the doorway to turn back. "Someday I'll be a great master, just like you."

"No you won't." He replied with a warm smile. "You'll be even greater."

Shen smiled and settled down into the bed, drifting off to sleep as the old master left. It had been a trying day for him, but he was sure his beloved Shen would be alright in the end.

Back in his private chambers, Master Arctos returned after the battle. He had been thankful for the opportunity to work off some aggression. He had been humiliated in front of his comrades by Master Bobo.

Moving over to his cabinet, he unlocked it, revealing the secret to his over-developed musculature. Despite their belief to the contrary, Huan was not the only one who could brew Ling-Shu. He had been taking it now to supplement his training and increase his power now for three years. Since he was not going to be teaching students for the foreseeable future, he figured it was best to focus on his own training and convince the Elders to overturn the Temple Master's decision based on his accomplishments in battle.

As he carelessly quaffed dangerous quantities of the brew, he recalled the day of his greatest humiliation.

The young student was borne to the ground hard as Master Bobo stood against him. He drove his bear-claw weapon into the concrete in frustration.

"If you want to beat me then you must remain calm Ling!" The owl warned him. He couldn't contain himself. Here he was in his trial and this sanctimonious old man was STILL lecturing him? He called forth his bear spirit, launching it into the attack. Master Bobo responded by calling his Hawk Owl, dashing it aside.

"I'm sorry Ling, you have failed." He told him, gesturing to the setting sun. "You still have much to learn."

He felt the bile rising in him as he saw this. He was about to be defeated in his destiny to follow his father's footsteps for a second time. Clutching his bear claws tightly, his anger turned into a murderous rage as Master Bobo turned his back to walk away. He lunged forward with a savage cry.

Master Bobo turned to see him coming. Even at this point he was powerful; stronger than himself, but strength had never been the bear's problem. It had always been control. Reacting instinctively to save his own life, he drew his short-sword, smashing the bear claws from his side, before striking a savage downward blow. The student collapsed to his knees, his hands clasped over his left eye and shrieked in agony. Master Bobo cast forth his Hawk Owl spirit to fetch the healers. He looked around and satisfied himself only he and Ling were there. He had elected to perform this trial alone, hoping that the lack of an audience would ease the bear student's enthusiasm and allow him to focus. Now it was the only reason he wasn't being expelled on the spot by the Elders for his disgraceful actions.

"Only you and I know of this." He informed the student. "I swear I will say nothing, but you must learn from this!"

As Huan arrived, inspecting his injury, Master Bobo swore to carry the secret of what really happened to the grave, despite knowing the Elders would likely punish him for injuring a student so gravely, but he didn't care. Ling had already lost an eye; he figured he didn't deserve to lose his home too.

He had been given Ling-Shu to aid in his recovery, but rather than accept his Master's charity and understanding, he had instead taken it as a message he needed more power to finally attain his destiny. It was then that he stole the secrets to brewing it. Now he had been using it to supplement his strength.

As he quaffed more of the solution, his mind turned back to the battle earlier in the day. Despite everyone's assertions, he, Merielax and Aurelia had faced Dai Shi's forces more than any of the others. They knew better than anyone that his forces grew stronger by the day. This time they had all suffered greater injuries than they were used to. Perhaps it was time to find another path.

Aurelia disentangled herself from Merielax's arms and left his bed, beginning to slowly get dressed as he watched her from the covers.

"What's on your mind?" He asked her. "Normally you wait until morning to leave."

"You know the old buzzard will be watching us more closely." She commented angrily. "I can't believe he humiliated Arctos like that!"

"We all know how much he coddles that little girl." He snorted in response, getting out of the bed and coming to her side, kissing her neck. She melted a little at his touch; his voice was sweet music to her. "Arctos himself would tell you he's never been the deepest thinker. It was foolish to brutalise her so much."

"But Arctos is a master!" She responded. "He deserves respect! We all do!"

"Well we could always teach him a lesson." Merielax suggested. "Of course we just have to be a little...subtle about how we do it."

"We can't challenge him." She whispered. "His ego wouldn't allow him to admit it, but we both know Arctos is afraid of him."

"Well we could find another way to hurt him." He suggested, wrapping his arms around her and smelling her hair. "After all, if HE attacks US..."

"Then he'll be the one to be reprimanded." She said with a grin. "You know, I think I have an idea of how to get to him."

"I have a feeling we're on the same page." Merielax chuckled.

"He'll never prove a thing." She replied. "I think it's time our little humming bird got a little extra tuition."


	2. Shen's Recovery

The next few days passed slowly for Shen in the recovery room of the infirmary. Having always been an active young woman, she found it hard to sit or lie still for long, and had been caught attempting to exercise a few times. She hated to feel helpless, and she hated to remain inactive. Having failed her trial, she had initially been dejected, but constant reassurance from Master Bobo had lifted her spirits. Now all she wanted was to get back into training as soon as she could to prepare for the next moon cycle, when she could take the trial again.

"Have you been resting like I asked?" Huan chuckled as he arrived. He had caught her exercising a few times during her recovery period. He understood how it frustrated her to be on the side lines, but he also knew how grievously Arctos had wounded her in their battle and didn't want her to make anything worse.

"I haven't moved, I promise." She grumbled, clearly bored out of her mind. "By the way in case you're interested there are 138 tiles on the roof."

"Well I guess you have been obeying orders then." He replied. "You really must be bored. Now, let me inspect your wounds."

Shen pulled herself into a seated position, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled down her jacket, allowing him access to her dressings. He unravelled the bandaging on her arm first. He smiled as he realised she was improving. His remedies yielded impressive results, and Shen had always been a fast healer.

"The wound on your arm has closed." He informed her. "I'll be able to pull the stitches today."

He slowly unravelled the bandaging on her abdomen, carefully inspecting the wound. He furrowed his brows as he inspected it. Her wound had been a lot deeper than he had originally thought, and he knew it would take a while to heal.

"The flesh has knitted." He informed her, pressing the wound gently to check beneath the surface. Shen winced a little at his touch.

"The muscle has knitted together well, but I would like to leave the stitches in." He told her. "I don't want to put any undue stress on the injury for a little longer. The muscle bruising seems to be clearing well, but it'll be a little while yet before you're completely healed. You've been lucky."

Shen gave him a slightly withering look; she sure as hell didn't feel lucky. It still hurt to move. She hated what Arctos had done to her; she wanted to get out of this damned infirmary so that she could get back to working on her technique. She wanted nothing more than to force Arctos to acknowledge her as an equal as she earned her master's stripes.

"Can I come in?" Master Bobo asked from outside, chapping the door. Shen looked to Huan as she pulled on her jacket. He nodded in understanding. He could remove her stitches any time, right now she wanted to see her father.

"Come in sir." Huan responded, inviting him in. The old master entered, smiling at her. She looked a lot healthier than she had done across the last few days. It lifted his spirits to see her so cheerful. Huan just shook his head and left the room, thinking it was curious how despite his skills as a healer, Master Bobo could brighten her up more with a simple visit than any of his treatments could.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, sitting on the bed beside her. Shen held his hand warmly, looking up at him.

"Huan says I'm fine." She replied. Bobo just gave her a slightly unconvinced look; he could tell when she was being economical with the truth.

"I think that's more than a little bit of a paraphrase of what he said, isn't it Shen?" He asked her a little accusingly, looking down his nose at her. Shen just looked down; she knew he could see right through her.

"He says the wound on my stomach will take a little longer to heal." She replied a little sadly. "He's going to take the stitches out of my arm when you leave."

"I'd trust his judgement; Huan is the best healer I've ever known." He told his daughter sagely. "He's put me back together more than a few times. I wouldn't have lived this long if it wasn't for him."

"I promise I'll listen to him." She sighed. "I just want to get back to training."

"There's no reason why you can't." Huan said gently as he arrived back in the room with a few pieces of equipment. Master Bobo realised he was there to remove her stitches and got up to leave. "You can take on gentle exercise; just try not to overdo it. As much as I like your company, I don't want to see you back here too soon."

"I'll take care of her." Master Bobo interjected quickly. He turned to Shen, looking into her eyes. "You will train under me until Huan gives you the all clear. Do you understand?"

Shen nodded, realising she didn't have a choice in the matter. When it came to her welfare, she could trust her father, and knew he wouldn't allow her to leave unless he could keep an eye on her.

"I'll leave you to it." He announced, turning to leave. "I'll see you for training first thing in the morning Shen."

As he closed the door, Shen sat back down and pulled off her jacket, allowing Huan access to her wound. He picked up some scissors and some tweezers.

"This will hurt a bit." He warned her. "Would you like me to get you something?"

"I think I've taken enough drugs over the last few days." She replied.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He replied, moving her arm into the light to allow him to see what he was doing more easily. "Now hold still."

Shen bit her lip as he started, focusing on the thoughts of her recovery. She was determined to make Master Bobo proud of her.

Meanwhile, Master Arctos had left the temple grounds early that morning. Since his reprimand by Master Bobo, he had no students to teach, and so had plenty of time to stew over the events of what had happened.

He cursed himself for his behaviour with Shen, not because he believed himself to be wrong in his treatment of her, but because he knew that it would bring him into direct conflict with the owl. He and the temple master had clashed heads many times over the years, over a variety of different issues, but one issue was the true root of their contempt for each other.

Deep in his heart, Arctos still blamed Master Bobo for what had happened to his adoptive father. He was the Temple Master; he should have seen what had been going on with Camille and her lover. He should have known everything that was going on in the temple at all times, if he had been performing his sacred duty properly instead of babysitting that orphan brat, then his beloved Master Ursa would never have been murdered. If he had been a little more vigilant, then Camille and Dai Shi's weakling host would never have amassed their power under the radar. If he had done all he should, they would have been banished or executed long before then and this accursed Beast War would never have begun.

He sat on a rock, gathering his thoughts as he realised how far he'd run from the temple. He had been in more battles on the temples behalf than any of the others. He alone had seen the full extent of Dai Shi's power and the strength of his forces. He should have been the one to lead, not just in the field. When Master Bobo had proven his incompetence, he should have been stripped of his rank and replaced by a powerful leader like himself. It was no coincidence that he had faced Master Bobo on two separate occasions in the trial. He had managed to sneak into the Master's residence and switched the selection chips both times to ensure that it would be the Owl he would face. He had longed to defeat him and make his weakness obvious to the masters, and that obsession had cost him dearly.

His vision blurred slightly and the headache came to him worsening his already foul mood. Looking down, he saw his hands shaking uncontrollably. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get them to stop shaking. He had felt these effects before; it had been several hours now since he'd last taken a dose of Ling-Shu. Although he denied it, he had been taking the potion for so long that now his body was completely dependent on it. As he shivered there in the forest alone, he didn't notice the Rinshi warriors approaching with one of Dai Shi's warriors, the bearer of a scarab spirit. He looked up to see them, cursing his current condition.

"A Pai Zhuq master as I live and breathe!" The Scarab creature sneered. "It looks like you're outnumbered."

The blinding rage that burned within him rose again, bringing him back to his feet. Adrenaline coursed through him as he confronted his foes. There were almost two dozen of the foot soldiers with this thing that faced him.

"Two dozen against one, the odds don't look good." He snarled, before pulling out his bear-claw weapons. He launched himself at them in a frenzy that was terrifying to behold. Warriors flew and exploded on all sides as he smashed them and anything else that got in his way into oblivion with his awesome power. With barely a dozen left, he launched himself into the air, slamming both fists into the earth, sending out a shockwave that obliterated the remaining foot soldiers and sent the scarab creature to the ground. He stood in a fresh clearing, having torn up and smashed down multiple trees in the carnage, staring at the fallen beetle hatefully. "Three dozen would have had a better chance!"

The scarab attempted to flee, only to be caught in Arctos' vice-like grip and clasped into a destructive embrace. The monster screamed in agony as it felt its carapace begin to give way.

"This is why Dai Shi shall fall!" He roared, crushing the life from it completely, causing it to explode. He heard applause from a short distance away and turned to face it. His gaze burned through the new arrival as he recognised him.

Dai Shi had not taken a new form since brutally slaying Master Ursa, and so the Bear recognised him instantly. He would never forget that face. He was the one that had taken everything from him. He could think of nothing but avenging the death of his father as Dai Shi came into the clearing.

"You have impressive power." Dai Shi complimented him. "Would you like to put it to the ultimate test?" He powered up into a hideous armoured mode, the beast-form of his current host. Apparently the student he'd inhabited possessed the spirit of the panther.

Arctos knew that to take on Dai Shi alone was a fool's endeavour, but his reason had taken a one-way trip into the ether. He snarled and threw himself into the attack.

Meanwhile, down by the lake near the temple, Shen was running through some gentle Tai Chi. Despite her father's insistence, she had started exercising when she left the infirmary. She was so desperate to get back up to speed she had ignored Huan's advice. Her body let her know she couldn't do anything more strenuous right now, but she had already been laid up for days, and so she just had to do something.

"You have good form." Master Aurelia greeted her, arriving from the undergrowth, startling her. Shen placed a hand across her stomach as she pulled her injury slightly when she jumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You won't tell my father will you?" Shen asked her nervously. Aurelia observed the nervous teenager. She was sure she wasn't meant to be here, the only reason she would be training out with the temple was if she didn't want Master Bobo to know about it. In all the years Shen had been at the temple, Aurelia could only remember her leaving the grounds a handful of times. Seeing the way she held her stomach, she knew the young woman was still hurt. She laughed a little.

"I have no intention of telling him, if anything I respect what you're doing." She told the young woman. "It takes a lot to get by in this place, much less succeed."

Shen nodded in understanding, listening intently to the first female Master. If anyone knew what she had to go through to earn her stripes, then it was Master Aurelia. No one thought it would be possible for a woman to pass the trial, but she had accomplished it.

"Your form is good, but you have one major handicap." Aurelia began, sitting down and gesturing for Shen to do likewise. She looked into the younger woman's eyes, and saw complete attention. Shen was awaiting any and all wisdom she could impart with anticipation. "You're a woman."

"But...so are you!" She stated, not quite understanding. Aurelia laughed again.

"Yes, I am." Aurelia replied. "So I knew from day 1 I would have to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously."

Shen nodded, seemingly understanding what she meant. Despite being sheltered from the worst of the scorn by Master Bobo's care, she still had to contend with the stigma of some of the more old-fashioned masters and students at the temple.

"What I did is I made a decision to change the way I thought. I didn't chase the men around asking and begging for their respect." She stated a little more seriously. "I started demanding it! I stopped caring if the men liked me, and I focused on winning my fights and earning my own distinctions."

"But the men all like you now." Chen responded.

"No, they don't like me, and many of them still don't think women should be here." She continued. "But after I defeated Master Arctos, they learned to accept me and respect me. Arctos is now a comrade because I earned his respect."

This made Shen smile as she looked to the ground thinking about it. Despite the brutality of his attack, she respected the power of Master Arctos. He, like his father, was very much the figurehead of the patriarchal attitudes of the temple. If she could make him respect her, then nothing would be unattainable for her, and Aurelia was living proof that it was possible for a woman to earn the respect of the Bear Master.

"You know, there's no such thing as too much education." Aurelia whispered, stroking Shen's hair gently. The younger woman had never spoken much with the master of the Jellyfish spirit, and so this was a little uncomfortable, but she couldn't help listening to her words. "Master Merielax has taught me a lot, and I think we could both teach you a few things that you won't learn under less...understanding masters."

"You would be willing to help me?" Shen asked her.

"I know I will it would be good to see another woman earn her stripes." She replied. "I'm sure I could convince Merielax to give you some more tuition. You are both bird spirits after all."

"I'm not sure." Shen replied. "My father will be training with me for a while..."

"Like I said, there's no such thing as too much education." Aurelia interrupted her. "If you're worried about hurting his feelings, you have nothing to worry about, we won't say a thing. Just...think about it and get back to me OK?"

Aurelia got up and began walking away. Shen suddenly hit a thought.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked. "Do you really believe I could be a master?"

"I think you could be a legend in this place." She replied, as she left with a vindictive smirk. She could tell that her words had the desired effect. She was sure it would not be long before she and her lover were hearing from the humming bird.

Back in the forest, Arctos was sent spiralling to the ground by another vicious attack. He snarled in frustration as he confronted Dai Shi.

"You see, the human form is no match for the mighty beast form!" Dai Shi taunted him. "The old bear learned that the hard way."

"You are not fit to speak of him!" Arctos roared, throwing himself at Dai Shi. The evil spirit grabbed him, slamming him into a tree and holding him fast.

"You blame everyone for his death. You blame me for killing him; you blame Camille for overpowering him." He drew closer. "You blame Master Bobo for not seeing through my disguise, but there is only one person to blame!" He threw the young bear to the ground and stood over him.

"Your father's death was his fault! He was too weak to stop me taking his miserable life." He sneered. "He was too weak to harness the true power of his bear spirit back in his prime, and we both know he had long since passed that."

"Liar!" Arctos screamed, feeling his anger growing in him. He started to shift form into his beast form, his hands becoming claws, but he couldn't hold it. He shifted back into his human form and fell to his knees, completely drained.

"You are not worthy of my time." Dai Shi snorted in disgust, shifting back into his human form and walking away. "If you are willing to do what you must to achieve true power, then seek me again. Until then, you are not worthy of my time."

Master Arctos rested his back against a tree and regained his breath. He couldn't help the rage inside him, it was all that drove him in most of his battles, even if it did tear him up inside. He looked down to his hands, remembering seeing them form into claws. He knew it was forbidden to access the beast form and the dark powers of the animal spirit, but he had to admit that he had never felt such power before. Although he had not been able to control it, he had to admit feeling the full strength of the bear coursing in his veins, and more than anything, he liked it.

Meanwhile back at the temple, Shen arrived in her bed chamber, going over the events of the day in her mind. She knew that she would recover eventually, and that she could resume her training, but Aurelia's words had struck a chord with her. What she said had made sense. Master Bobo arrived in behind her, touching her shoulder.

"We'll begin tomorrow." He assured her. "Until then, just continue to rest. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Father, I..." She didn't know how to approach the subject. Her mind was racing with everything she had heard. "Do you think it's possible to make people respect you?"

"That depends." He replied, sitting down with her. "People will only respect you if they are willing to open their minds to your ability."

"So you don't think you can?" Shen asked, a little confused by his answer. "It's just that Master Arctos hates women, but Aurelia is one of his closest comrades..."

"Oh that's what you mean by 'make someone respect you'." He said in understanding. "It is possible to change someone's mind, but it is hard. Intolerance is deeply ingrained in a person's mind. They will only change if their hearts allow them to."

"I just wish people didn't look down on me so much!" She snapped, pounding a fist into the bed clothes. "Yes, I'm a woman, but I'm better than half the students that taunt me and yell at me and..."

"You are indeed better, but not because you are better at martial arts." He interrupted her. "Fighting anger with anger only leads to more anger. It would be like trying to put out a fire by throwing paraffin over it."

"I just want them to respect me and give me a chance!" She moaned. "Master Arctos..."

"There's a thing about getting respect that way." Master Bobo interrupted her gently. "I have defeated Master Arctos twice, one time very convincingly. Do you think that made him like me?"

"No, but..."

"Do you think it made him respect me?" He asked. Shen couldn't answer. The animosity between the two was far from a secret in the temple. "Could I fight him again? Yes I could, could I beat him again? Possibly, but if it isn't going to change his opinion, what's the point?"

"He really doesn't respect you?" She asked him. Her father just shook his head.

"He probably never will, sometimes people just never find common ground." He replied.

"But he hurt me, and I respect him..."

"No, you are afraid of him, it's a different thing." He interrupted her.

"But he hurt me badly..."

"I took his eye." He responded. "Being able to hurt someone is nothing to respect. Being able to show compassion, control and understanding, they are what should be respected."

Master Bobo hugged her warmly before leaving the room. He wanted her to rest, and he knew that she had an enthusiastic streak in her that needed to be curbed. At least if she exercised with him he could keep an eye on her and she wouldn't push herself too hard.

Shen though could only think of everything she had been told that day. She didn't want to live in the temple afraid of Master Arctos and his cronies.

"It might not be respect, but at least he'll leave me alone." She whispered to herself as she got ready for bed. She had made her mind up, perhaps Aurelia had a point, and right now she could use all the help she could get.

Meanwhile though in Master Merielax's bed chamber, he was meditating under candle light, stripped to the waist. The night was not warm, there was no need for him to be semi-naked, but he knew he could be expecting company at any time.

"Did you speak to her?" He asked, his eyes never opening as she arrived in his window. She came over behind him, kissing his neck softly.

"Of course I did." She replied. "That girl's so trusting; it's a credit to her father's good heart."

"His gullibility you mean." He sniggered, turning his head towards her. "So are we expecting a new student?"

"Yes, we are my love." She replied, pulling into him gently. "She will be seeking our help any time now."

"Well she will receive our training then." He chuckled.

"Of course she will learn the true meaning of 'be careful what you ask for'." She replied, running her fingers across his torso. "Let the games begin my love."

With that, he stood up, taking Aurelia in his arms and throwing her onto the bed, joining her under the covers. Just like her animal spirit, she was as beautiful as she was deadly. Soon the Owl would know what it was to cross the Sacred Triad. His beautiful humming bird was going to suffer for his disrespect.


	3. The Descent Begins

The next morning, Master Arctos paced impatiently as he awaited his accomplices. He had received a note to say that they were planning something to make Master Bobo pay for his disrespect, but he was so immersed in his fury over his defeat at the hands of Dai Shi that he hadn't really paid attention. All he knew was that he had tasted the true extent of his power and it was well within his grasp.

He looked down at his hands again, those pale, soft, fleshy, human things that held back his true potential. Concentrating on the rage he had felt as he faced Dai Shi, they shifted again into those glorious, strong, vicious claws that had more strength in them than he thought possible. He drew back as he heard the first of his comrades arrive.

"You had something to say Mereilax?" He asked as he returned to normal.

Aurelia arrived after him, coming to her lover's side obediently. "We thought you'd like to know that we plan on getting vengeance for Master Bobo's slight."

Arctos looked to his hands again. He wasn't sure why he was angry, but he still was. The mention of Bobo's name brought back memories of his lost eye, and deepened that anger.

"His daughter is looking for a new tutor or two to make sure she isn't humiliated the way she was against you again." Merielax stated with authority, addressing the man he had followed since the day he arrived in the temple. "We expect her to seek our help."

"We will teach her a lot!" Aurelia chuckled, pulling into Merielax. "But not how to defeat you or any master. She will learn the true meaning of futile struggle."

"Master Bobo's strength is...impressive." He muttered.

"His strength comes from his heart." Aurelia told him. "The child is his heart."

"I hurt her and he cast me aside like nothing." Arctos reminded them.

"You didn't hurt her the right way." The hawk master mused, approaching his comrade. "Let us deal with her. When Bobo's gone, there will not be many suitable candidates to lead this temple."

Arctos wasn't really concentrating at this point. All he could think about was the extents of the power he had at his hands.

"Make her suffer!" He snarled, leaving them. "I'll be seeking strong opponents. Let me know when you're done."

As he walked away, Mereilrax smiled, realising his mentor saw approval in his thoughts.

"We can expect her soon." Aurelia stated.

"Of course we will hurt the old buzzard every time we hurt her." He chuckled. "You already know through personal experience how rough my training can be."

"That will not be enough." His lover replied, nibbling his ear lobe playfully. "She needs to feel true sorrow. Why don't you show her what she's missing through her...vow?"

Merielax smirked as she said this. He was an attractive man, he knew this from the reactions he got from several women he had encountered, but his thoughts were only for his jellyfish. He still thought of himself as being an object of desire, despite what he had with Aurelia. He thought it amusing to think of corrupting the precious chick of the disrespectful owl.

"Are you sure you won't get jealous?" He asked.

"Would I need to?" Aurelia whispered in his ear.

"No, you are and always will be my heart." He replied. "But taking Shen's from her will surely destroy Bobo's."

"Then let us..." She stopped in her tracks and gestured up the dirt path leading to the temple. Merietrax looked up, seeing Shen walking towards them.

"Master Merietrax." She began respectfully, sinking to her knees before the Hawk Master. "I wish to ask for your guidance. I have failed in my path to become a master. I ask that you help me."

"I will, but you must accept that what I say goes." He replied. "I am not an easy tutor, my training methods will hurt, but they will make you stronger."

"I will trust your judgement Master Mereitrax." Shen said in response. In all this time she never even noticed that Aurelia was there. She and her lover exchanged a knowing nod and a glance before she left to attend to other matters.

"Now, let us begin." Merietrax began, pulling off his jacket and revealing his hard, toned physique. He pulled into a guard. "Let us begin."

Shen snarled and launched herself at him. He smirked as he saw her coming. This wasn't just going to be work; this was going to be fun.

Master Arctos stalked the jungle looking for any and all opposition. He knew that the path to the power that was his destiny was within his grasp. It was so close he could taste it. He finally found some Rinshi bounding near a small farming village, heading there to gather fear for Dai Shi.

"You WILL give me my power!" He snarled as he threw himself at them. Little did he know that Dai Shi was watching from a little distance away. He pulled Camille closer.

"He is a powerful one." He told her confidently. "Keep an eye on him and tell me what else happens."

As Arctos finished with his hunt, he felt a stinging sensation in his right forearm. Figuring he'd just missed a minor injury, he just ignored it. He was destined to gain all the power he could get, and no one was going to stand in his way.

Back in the temple grounds, Shen had long since finished with sparring and was now running through punishment drills for her failures.

"Harder!" Mereilax snapped as she continued to slam her shins into a bamboo tree in the forest, wincing in pain every time she even had to pick her legs up, let alone slam them into a sturdy tree.

"Master I..."

"Are you questioning me Shen?" He asked. "I suppose my methods can be harsh, I guess I could ask..."

"No Master!" She implored him, fearing that his words would reach her father. "I merely was...sore and..."

Mereilax lifted his right leg to waist height and pulled his trouser leg up to the knee, presenting the hard, callused flesh there.

"Master Arctos found out I was good with my legs. I could throw hard kicks and block hard attacks with them at will." He told her. "I broke my left leg 8 times under his training, my right 6. Do you doubt my experience?"

Shen started throwing hard kicks into the tree again. Mereilax smiled as he saw the pain in her face. He knew she was close to the edge. He held up a hand a short time later.

"Enough for today." He told her. "You may go to your quarters."

"Sir, I can barely stand!" She complained as she sat on a nearby log. "May I..."

"You do not want your father to know you seek extra training, yet you complain when you get it!" He snapped at her. "You complain and moan. I'm wasting my time..."

"Master I mean no disrespect." She shot in, hobbling quickly to his side and putting a hand on his shoulder. He smiled as he realised how easily he'd gotten to her. "I just meant that I am weak and..."

"Master!" Aurelia interrupted sharply. She threw herself between her lover and Shen. "She is not yet used to your training, perhaps you should give her time."

Mereitrax knew she had a point. Sending her back to the Owl a cripple would be tipping their hand a little too early. He nodded in wordless understanding of their cruel plan.

"Today I will excuse your weakness." He told her. "Tomorrow, same time, show up, or never show up again."

He walked away with a smirk on his face. He was confident his beloved Aurelia would ensure the job was done with her usual kind of "pep talk". Although he could be ruthless in his physical torture, he knew that his partner was the true master of torture. She could hurt people more deeply than he ever could, she had a deep understanding of what made people tick, and knew exactly how to use that against them.

"I thought this would help." Shen whimpered. "I thought I'd end up stronger..."

"You will." Aurelia told her, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulders. "But it takes a while. Sometimes you have to take the pain and..."

"Father!" Shen shrieked, realising her predicament. "He'll see me limping; he'll say I'm pushing too hard and..."

"Hush child." Aurelia told her comfortingly, brushing her hair from her face with her fingers. "You simply have to find ways around that."

"Master, I can barely stand, let alone walk." She moaned. "I should have..."

Aurelia silenced her with a finger to her lips before pulling out a flask. She gestured to Shen's trouser legs.

"Lift them up." She implored her. Shen just complied without question. Aurelia began pouring the clear fluid over them. Shen marvelled at how it made her feel. She forgot almost instantly the pain."

"But..."

"Huan never locks the windows." Aurelia told her. "That and his medicine cabinet is always open."

Shen looked at her totally conflicted. She should have reported immediately this breach of protocol as far as use of medication went, but her legs had been hurting so damn much, she was grateful for the release.

"I will convince Master Mere lax to train you again." Aurelia told her. "Would you like that?"

Shen just nodded as the potion took effect, relieving enough pain that she wouldn't limp noticeably. Shen stopped as she was about to leave.

"He doesn't like me." She told Aurelia. "He doesn't respect me, he..."

Leave that to me Shen." She replied, touching her cheek. Shen felt warmth she never had before, in a way she had never known. At her touch, she felt that Aurelia would not fail her, and would ensure that she reached her potential, the potential to become the Master she always wanted to be.

"I promise I will." She whispered in response. "Thank you Master."

As she walked away as nimbly as she could in her pained state, Mereilax returned to his lover's side. He had never truly left, he had simply taken up a hiding place to observe Aurelia's part of the plan.

"She's thanking us for hurting her." He chuckled. "That is so much better than I hoped for."

"She will know greater pain than this before we're through." She replied. "Especially when you..."

"I don't think that's the way to go." He told her.

"But we need to destroy her heart to truly hurt her." She implored him. "She may be limping now, but she'll still have that bounce and enthusiasm and..."

"I do not doubt that your plan is the way to tear out her heart." He interrupted her. "But I was watching, and I do not think I am the one to do it."

"What do you mean?" Aurelia asked him. He just looked down is nose disbelievingly at her.

"You mean?" She began. Mereilax just nodded in response. "My my, the owl really doesn't know much about his daughter."

"I guess it's an ego boost to know you're irresistible to both genders." He chuckled. "So, you think you can...?"

"Trust me; I know the art of seduction." She interrupted him, kissing him passionately. "By the time I'm finished, she'll gladly walk off a cliff for me."

"We don't need that much." He responded. "Of course, we still need to decide how to use this new power over her to our benefit."

"Believe me, I have an idea." She replied. "Of course it will require a little help and understanding from Arctos."

"Leave him to me." Mereilax stated as they began on the path back to the temple. "I can talk him into just about anything."

Arctos arrived back in his bed chamber, noticeably injured. He had spent the entire day hunting for Dai Shi's warriors. He had been beaten badly, but he had emerged victorious from each and every encounter. The bear snarled within him, eager for more bloodshed, but his body was spent. He made his way to his cabinet, unlocking it and pulling out a pitcher of Ling-Shu, quaffing it enthusiastically. He was startled as Mereilax entered the room, spilling some down his chin and his chest as he snapped around.

"I just wanted to tell you we're progressing well with Shen." He told him. Arctos grabbed him roughly and slammed his comrade against the wall. He should have expected this. Master Arctos' temper was volatile at the best of times, but when he was on Ling-Shu it was best to avoid him completely. He had known the Bear Master long enough to know better than to fight him.

"I'm sorry to startle you!" He rushed out. "But the girl is following our every word."

Arctos released his grip as his comrade spoke, remembering that he and his lover had spoken of doing something to the girl to hurt his nemesis, the Temple Master. He sat on his bed and stared up at him.

"So she's training under you now?" He asked.

"If you can call what I'm teaching her training." He sniggered in response. "By the time I'm finished she'll be lucky if she can walk, much less pass the trial."

"You think that will be enough?" Arctos sneered. "We want the old man to suffer."

"Aurelia's already working on her mind and her heart." He responded. "By the time we've finished, Shen will be completely broken."

"Then continue, I have much to do." Arctos snapped, pointing to the door. "GO!"

Mereitrax knew better than to defy him when he was riding a high from Ling-Shu. He just left without another word.

In the dead of night, Aurelia was stirred from her sleep as Shen gently shook her awake. She turned over to see the young woman before her.

"My legs still hurt." She whispered. "You said you knew a way to get me medicine."

Aurelia smiled as she remembered that conversation. The girl genuinely thought she was her friend, and that she had her best interests in mind. Little did she know that this was all part of Aurelia's plan to destroy her, and by extension, her father.

"Well you should probably go and get some." She recommended, stroking her hair.

"It's just that..." Her words tailed off as she looked at the floor. In all her life at the temple, Shen had never once defied the rules of the elders. She was so conflicted about attempting to enter Huan's infirmary without his knowledge. "I..."

"I understand Shen." Aurelia said softly, touching her cheek gently. The young woman shuddered at her touch. She now knew that Mereitrax had been right, the young woman really was tied to her in her own heart. She sniggered more at the thought of the student following her through blind devotion than any genuine amusement. "I shall go with you. It is hard the first time."

"You have stolen from the infirmary?" Shen inquired. Master Aurelia rolled up her sleeve, revealing a long, deep, red scar.

"Like I said, I had to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously." She replied. "It would not be the first time I've mended my own body."

Shen was still conflicted, she knew that stealing was wrong, as was trespassing. She knew that if she spoke with Huan then he would just give her the treatment. Of course he would also tell her father, and the last thing she wanted was to see the look of disappointment in his eyes as he learned she had gone behind his back to seek guidance elsewhere. She only wanted to see the pride in his face as he bestowed her stripes on her, marking her as the master of the Humming Bird spirit. She looked into the face of the master whose chamber she had entered uninvited. She marvelled at the pale blue glow in her normally pale face. Aurelia was as beautiful as she was strong, a fact Shen had not been unaware of. She looked into the master's eyes, feeling a warmth and acceptance she hadn't with anyone in the temple other than her father and Huan.

"I will show you where I used to get in." Aurelia stated getting out of bed. As she began getting dressed, Shen couldn't understand the sensations she was feeling. She had seen the naked human form before, but for some reason this was different. She found it hard to think, she found it hard to breathe as she beheld the master. Feeling her chest tighten, she looked away. Aurelia noted the reaction as she pulled on her trousers, smirking at the thought of the power she wielded over the young student.

"Come this way." She implored her.

"But...stealing is wrong." She stammered. Aurelia merely smiled at her.

"Is it wrong to bend the rules if good comes out of it?" She asked, extending a hand to Shen. "What would be more wrong? Taking a couple of pain killers or denying the world a Pai Zhuq master to save it?"

Shen felt her doubts beginning to fade as she put her hand in Aurelia's, taking comfort in the support of her new master.

"Come, I'll show you the way in." Aurelia beckoned her. Without a word of protest, Shen followed her. She knew that Aurelia had her best interests at heart.

Back in his chambers, Arctos couldn't sleep. He thrashed wildly in his bed as he tried to settle, but found himself unable to. He threw off the covers and snarled in his anguish. All he wanted was to get some respite, but thoughts of his defeat at Dai Shi's hands plagued him painfully. All he could think about was the sneering, the taunting, and the loss of his eye...

He stopped there. His frustration wasn't really at his inability to defeat Dai Shi, it was in his fear of Master Bobo. Any time he looked in a mirror, the vicious scar and the milky, lifeless marble that was his right eye stared back at him as a permanent reminder of his weakness. He tore off his jerkin in frustration, realising that he was still fearful of the Owl Master.

It was then that he noticed something curious. His Master's mark was not the small, three stripes that had been carved mystically into his flesh by his adoptive father all those years ago, now there were more lines. They also extended across a large part of his forearm, almost reaching his elbow and his wrist. He couldn't fathom why this had happened, or what it meant. He felt a new sensation within him. It was a hunger, but not one borne of lack of food. He hungered for the hunt. Pulling on his uniform, he strode into the night seeking worthy prey.

Master Bobo was sitting meditating in his chambers as he heard a crash in Shen's room. His eyes opened and his head jerked around. He stood up and made his way toward the door.

"Shen, is that you?" He asked nervously. She hadn't spoken to him much at all that day. With the exception of their light training session, he hadn't even seen her. He turned the door handle to find that curiously, the door was locked. Shen had never locked the door on him before.

"I'm fine!" Shen rushed out defensively as she picked herself up from the floor. She had fallen on the floor when she climbed in the window following her larcenous mission into Huan's infirmary. She had no intention of telling her father that she had been sneaking around the temple that night. If he found out she had hurt herself training, he would likely just tell her again that she needed to wait to recover, but she couldn't. She was getting stronger, she knew because her new masters kept telling her so. She quickly hid the pot of pain relieving elixir she had stolen under her pillow and threw on a robe, covering her clothes. She rushed to the door, unlocking it and opening it ajar.

"I just fell out of bed." She lied. "I'm alright."

"You would tell me if there was something wrong wouldn't you Shen?" He asked her. Shen couldn't look him in the eye, she was still conflicted over much of what had been going on, but she just wanted to become strong and make him proud. She looked into his face and told him the first lie she ever had.

"There's nothing wrong." She told him. "I fell out of bed, I'm just a little tired. May I go?"

Master Bobo was far from satisfied. He knew she was lying to him, but he didn't want to press the matter through the door. He just nodded and turned away.

"You know where I am if you want to talk." He said gently. Shen nodded in response.

"I know father." She replied, closing the door and locking it again. She went over to her bed and sat down, rolling up her trouser legs to reveal the ruined, rough mass of flesh that was left of her shins after her training session with Master Mereilax. She pulled the vial from under her pillow and looked at it with a considered gaze as she bit her lip. It still didn't feel right to keep this from her father and Huan. She knew they would be disappointed in her if they found out. As she thought about how disappointed she was in herself as she let them both down in her trial, she made the decision and began pouring the elixir over her shins. They might not approve of the way she got there, but she was determined to make Master Bobo proud.

Master Bobo however, was far from happy. His daughter had lied to his face for the first time in her life. He had no idea what could be troubling her so much. He knew she was disappointed by the result of the trial.

He sat sadly on his own bed, and wiped a tear from his eye. He prayed she would feel that she could talk with him soon. He was desperate to know what troubled her so much.


	4. The Descent Continues

Mereilax sat patiently meditating in the clearing. His predatory instincts let him know that she was coming. An evil smirk crept across his lips as Shen arrived.

"So you came back." He said gently. "I thought you were hurt."

"No master." She replied sheepishly. "I was merely..."

"You were weak!" He snapped at her before she could finish. "I do not teach the weak!"

"Master I merely meant..."

"You are either worthy of my training or you are not!" He spat with authority. "Now, are you my student or not?"

Shen looked deep within herself. She never felt right about going behind Bobo's back, but she felt like she was becoming stronger.

"I will do anything you say master." She barked in response. He cast a knowing gaze to Aurelia as he took Shen aside.

"Now, today we will work on your forearms." He told her as they approached a bamboo tree. "Now, let's begin."

Aurelia stood where Shen could see her, watching with an encouraging smile as the young student began striking the bamboo tree repeatedly with her forearms. Shen winced in pain with every blow, but seeing Aurelia made her want to push through the pain. She didn't want to disappoint the female Master. Knowing the effect her presence had on Shen, Aurelia continued to observe, encouraging her to strike harder and harder.

"Keep it up!" Mereilax barked, seeing her drive her arms into the tree viciously. He knew damn fine how much this hurt, but that was his intention. Every grimace, on her face, every pained grunt was a step closer to hurting Master Bobo.

"You cannot master my technique at half strength." He snapped. "Harder!"

Aurelia just gave Shen a little smile, giving her the strength to carry on. Shen knew that the feelings she was having for the female master were forbidden by her vow, but she couldn't deny them. She had felt strongly for the older woman since the beginning. She had gone through her life never having such feelings for anyone, it was easy for her to make her vow, but lately the admiration she had for Aurelia had become so much more. The intensity of them overwhelmed her. She knew she wanted more than just this training from her.

"I didn't tell you to stop!" Mereilax snarled as she drove another hard strike into the tree. "You must master these techniques."

Aurelia sat on the ground and tossed her hair as she watched Shen's torment, feeling a sense of satisfaction about the pain she was enduring, and how much more lay ahead for her.

Master Bobo paced his living quarters in frustration. Shen had left early that morning, without a word. It wasn't like her to be so secretive, especially with him. He hated that he didn't know what was troubling her. He knew it had something to do with her failure in the trial, but that was as much as he knew.

He stopped by her bedroom door and considered going inside to see if there was some clue as to what was happening with his daughter, but he stopped himself short of entering. Despite wanting to know, he couldn't enter her bedroom uninvited. He had too much respect for her privacy. No, he was confident that Shen would talk to him in her own time. He just wanted to be there for her when she finally saw fit to open up to him.

Shen stroked her aching forearms as Mereilax finally allowed her to take a break. Rolling up her sleeves, she found that her forearms were red raw, and stung painfully. Aurelia came to her side and sat down.

"You're doing well." She complimented her. "In time your body will become used to it."

"I really wish it didn't hurt so much." She replied, looking up at Aurelia. She felt her heart lifting a little as she saw the master's beautiful smile. Aurelia laughed a little as she saw Shen's reaction. She was so easy to manipulate, it wasn't true. The child thought she genuinely cared about her.

"Well just think how proud you'll make your father when you pass your trial next time." She said to the young girl, touching her cheek. Shen felt a warm rush coursing through her at Aurelia's touch.

"I really wish I didn't have to do this behind my father's back." She whispered. "I know he means well, but he'd probably just say that I'm pushing myself too hard and I should let myself heal."

"Of course he would." Aurelia agreed. "After all you're his little girl."

Shen got a slightly disgruntled look on her face as she turned back to Aurelia. She clearly didn't appreciate being called a 'little girl', especially by the Jellyfish Master.

"I'm not a little girl!" She snapped grumpily. Aurelia couldn't help sniggering at the response. She really was so easily led. She could manipulate her mind without even trying.

"I know you're not." She replied, putting an arm around her. "Of course you always will be to your father."

"But I'm an adult!" She muttered. "I'm strong and..."

"And you still seek his guidance and approval for everything." Aurelia interrupted her, squeezing her. "He loves you and he cares about you as his daughter. But as a student...?"

Shen did not like the way Aurelia was speaking about Master Bobo. Not just because she cared about him, but also because despite not wanting to believe it, she thought that she might have a point. Master Bobo loved her as his daughter, but he didn't respect her as a student. If he did then why would he coddle and shelter her so much?

"I don't think he means anything by it, but I think that to him you'll always be his daughter first." Aurelia continued. She leaned across and kissed her cheek, causing Shen to lose her concentration as she tried to find a counter to this point. She didn't want to believe that her father was holding her back deliberately because he thought of her as a child. She wanted more than just his love; she wanted him to accept her as an adult.

"What should I do?" Shen asked her. Aurelia smiled as she thought about it.

"A master cannot be a follower." She stated sagely. "If you always do things his way..."

"Then I'll never become a master." She sighed. "What should I do?"

"Look into your heart and follow your own path." Aurelia told her, holding her hand. "Then your path to becoming a master will become your destiny."

"OK, you've rested long enough." Mereilax stated as he arrived back. A little glance between him and Aurelia, wordlessly communicating that their plan was progressing was missed by the young student as she got back to her feet. "Now, let's see what you've learned."

Shen adopted a guard as Mereilax faced off against her. He smirked as he realised that his training was having the desired effect. She was in no state to be a match for him, he was already searching his mind for the latest sadistic punishment drill he could inflict on her.

Meanwhile, Arctos was heading back to the temple. Being unable to rest, he had gone in search of fresh prey. Having destroyed another few of Dai Shi's warriors, he was quickly coming to like his newfound power. Despite the temple's strict code against the use of the dark powers of their animal spirit, Arctos could not deny that the power of his animal form eclipsed anything he thought possible. Perhaps Dai Shi had been right all along. Perhaps it was the human side of them that was weak.

He sat down, removing his tunic, to inspect his master's mark. It had begun growing across more of his arm since he began using the dark energies and actively hunting for Dai Shi's monsters as opposed to simply defending himself and his charges when they attacked. His mark now extended from a little way from his wrist along most of his arm, stopping just short of his shoulder.

Hearing someone approaching, he quickly pulled his tunic back on. Until he figured out what was happening to him, he didn't want anyone else to see.

"You are making an impressive dent in my forces." Dai Shi told him as he arrived. Arctos rose to his feet to confront him. "Please, you are still nowhere near ready to be a match for me."

He relaxed his guard as he realised that Dai Shi was right. Despite his newfound power, he was still a long way from the extent of Dai Shi's power.

"I have no intention of fighting you. You are a powerful warrior, one who would do well in my army."

Arctos snorted in disgust at the notion. Him join forces with Dai Shi? No, it was never going to happen.

"Your master's mark is getting larger is it not?" He asked. Master Arctos froze still as he said this. How could Dai Shi know about that? How could he tell? What did this all have to do with anything? "Soon it will cover the entirety of your body, marking you as a fallen master."

"Fallen Master?" He asked, not sure what Dai Shi meant.

"You have accessed the dark powers of your animal spirit." He told him. "You turn to your animal form in selfish pursuit of power, and you actively hunt prey for sport. You have forsaken the purity of your animal spirit."

Arctos looked into his heart and realised that again Dai Shi was right. He was slowly but surely heading down a dark path. In pursuit of the power to avenge the death of his father, he was losing grip on his humanity.

"Of course now you know the true nature of power." He continued. "The reason your father died was because of his humanity. It is the human that is weak, not the animal spirit."

Arctos didn't want to hear this. He never wanted to think of his father as being weak, but he had to admit that Camille had overpowered him convincingly when she took on her beast form. Dai Shi circled him menacingly, continuing to goad him. "Once you forsake your humanity, there are no limits to the levels of power you can reach."

Something about this struck a chord with him. He had tasted the true power that was available to him if he wanted, and if anything, he found the idea tempting. He had never felt weak until he had sampled the true extent of the power at his fingertips, just waiting for him to claim it.

"Pai Zhuq will never accept you." He informed him. "Once they realise that you are corrupting your animal spirit, once they see your mark, they will cast you out."

"Liar!" He snapped in response. "They would never turn on me! I am their most powerful warrior!"

"If you believe that to be true, then why don't you show the elders your mark and see what happens." He sneered. "When you are ready to tap into your true power, then there will be a place in my army for you. Farewell my Overlord of the land."

He watched Dai Shi leave, completely conflicted over everything he had heard. He didn't want to admit it, but he had a feeling that Dai Shi was right. The elders were never the most reasonable or forgiving. If they knew he had strayed from the temple, they would turn on him. He knew there were only two people he could rely on to stand with him.

Late at night, Shen tried to sneak back into the living quarters, having stolen some more medical supplies from Huan's infirmary. She pulled the medication into her jacket as she realised she was not alone in the room. Master Bobo had been waiting for her to return.

"Where have you been?" He asked her. "Huan wanted me to bring you to him to have your wound looked at."

"I was training by the lake." She replied, pulling the jacket tightly around her to conceal her ill-gotten goods and her fresh injuries.

"I would have trained you." He responded. "I said I would train you, why did you not wait for me?"

"I wanted to train alone." She lied. Master Bobo sighed as she did this. He didn't know why, but she had started lying to him recently. It pained him to think of this change in her. She had never lied to him before this had happened.

"Shen, you are still wounded." He reminded her. "You need to let your wounds heal. I can take you through some..."

"I feel fine!" She snapped in response, interrupting him. "You don't need to coddle me! I know my limits, I'm perfectly capable..."

"I never said you weren't capable." He answered, coming over to her. He cupped her cheek with his hand and looked into her eyes. "I love you; I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Stop patronizing me!" She roared, throwing off his hand. "I'm not a little girl! I'm a grown woman! Stop holding me back!"

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" He asked her. "Shen, all I've ever done is because I love you, you're my daughter..."

"No I'm not!" She screamed at him. His face fell and his eyes grew wide in amazement. There was nothing that anyone could have said or done that would hurt him more than those words from the mouth of his daughter. "My parents are dead! They were murdered 18 years ago remember?"

She stormed into her bedroom, locking the door behind her. Master Bobo just slumped down onto his chair and stared into space as his tears began. He didn't mean to patronize Shen, but she meant the world to him. He had to admit that he could occasionally be a little overprotective of her, but that was only because she was his family. He couldn't believe the anger in her voice, or the viciousness of her words. It was so out of character for her to be so defiant and aggressive. He wiped his eyes with his wrist, sweeping away some more tears. He longed for her to come to him and tell him what was wrong. His heart was empty without her.

Shen meanwhile, opened the vial of ointment she had stolen from the infirmary, beginning to rub it into the angry, red, swollen flesh of her forearms, before concentrating on her bruises. Mereilax had worked her over pretty badly. Almost every inch of her body hurt deeply, but he and Aurelia had assured her that was just so that she would become stronger.

Her thoughts drifted back to Aurelia. She had a warm, reassuring quality about her that made Shen want to believe anything she said. She told her that she was strong and that she had it in her to become a master. Nothing was unattainable for her as long as she believed in herself, and Aurelia always made her believe in herself.

She cursed herself for losing her temper with her father, but she could live without being smothered by him. He had demanded to know what was happening with her, but he knew damn fine that she was devastated over failing her trial. She wanted to pass the trial and earn her place as a Pai Zhuq Master, but he was always suffocating her with his care. She still felt guilty about her careless words. She didn't mean them; they had just come out as she yelled at him. She just wanted to get some peace from him, and so she had said the first thing that came into her head. Unfortunately though, that was the very words she knew would hurt him deeply.

She sighed as she realised she had blown it with him. There was no way he would want to help her now. She has been vicious and spiteful in her words. She needed to talk to someone. Things had just gone so wrong since she had been injured, but she didn't know why. She needed to seek the counsel of the one person she knew would help her. Hiding the vial under her pillow, Shen opened the window, and climbed out into the night, seeking the counsel of Master Aurelia.

In Aurelia's bedchamber, the Sacred Triad were locked deep in conversation. Arctos knew that tipping his had too early was not the way to go. Mereilax and Aurelia were not yet ready to defect to Dai Shi. He was a little unsure himself, but the thing he did know was that this plan may just result in them getting what they'd always wanted to achieve, controlling the temple.

"The girl is a wreck physically." Mereilax stated with a smug grin. "My training has all but crippled her. She's stealing medical supplies just to get out of bed in the morning."

"Well don't push her too hard." Master Arctos stated flatly. "We still need her to function. If she realises you're hurting her on purpose..."

"Please. Today I made her thank me for beating her senseless." He sneered in response. "She is trusting and naive. She believes I have her best interests at heart."

"As she does with me." Aurelia laughed. "I just turned her against her father with only a wink and a kiss. She believes I return her feelings."

"Well all of that is well and good." Arctos said gently. "But what of the final phase of the plan?"

"I was hoping you would lend me a little of your Ling-Shu potion." Mereilax stated. "I have an idea that will see her cast out of the temple."

"I think I see where this is going." Arctos replied. "I will get a vial this very evening."

"Good, because I think we are about to have a visitor." Aurelia whispered. Arctos nodded in understanding and slipped out the back door quietly. Mereilax was about to leave, but Aurelia gestured for him to stay.

"Can I come in?" Shen asked, knocking the door gently. She made her way quietly into the room, but was not prepared for what she saw.

Aurelia was under the covers, clearly naked. Her hair was out of place, and she had a mischievous grin on her face. Master Mereilax meanwhile was standing in his underwear, wandering around the room.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Aurelia asked her. Shen just stood, unable to speak or breathe as she saw the scene before her. Both sets of clothes had been carelessly discarded all around the room. Despite not having been in a relationship before, she was not naive enough to not realise what this meant. A few tears began running down her face as she realised that she had made a grave error about Aurelia.

"You..." She stammered, gesturing between the two masters. Aurelia took Mereilax's hand and pulled him down onto the bed, kissing him passionately.

"So you finally figured it out then." She taunted the younger woman. "It took you long enough."

"I thought..." She stammered. "What about your vow?"

"I didn't hear you complaining about that when you thought I was into you." She sniggered at the young woman's torment. "I doubt you'd have complained about breaking your own vow if I had returned your devotion."

"It was so priceless to watch!" Mereilax chuckled as he looked at the devastated student. "You were so easy to manipulate."

"I made you steal from your father's best friend." Aurelia reminded her. "And I made you turn on your father."

"All the time I was beating you black and blue and getting thanked for it." Mereilax chipped in. "You really are a trusting little fool."

Shen couldn't hold in her tears as she realised the depths of their betrayal. She was too hurt to know what to do. She didn't have the heart to confront them over their cruel behaviour.

"I'll tell the elders!" She shrieked. "I'll tell my father!"

"Tell him what? That you were about to break your vow with another woman?" She asked her. "How long do you think he'd stick around after learning that?"

"Of course that's presuming he wants to talk to you at all." Mereilax stated. "After all, the temple guards are probably searching your bedroom as we speak."

Shen's tears flooded down her face as she realised they were not lying. There was evidence of her thefts all over the bedroom. Running from the room, completely horrified by her predicament, she fled back to her father's quarters, hoping that he would not hold her earlier words against her. She arrived back at his quarters, pounding on his door furiously. Master Bobo opened the door, seeing her standing before him, weeping hysterically.

"Shen?" He asked, a little surprised by her appearance. He thought she was still in her room. He grabbed her, pulling her into a deep hug, letting her weep into his tunic.

"Father, I've been such a fool!" She whimpered. "I need to tell you something..."

She was interrupted though as one of the elders, flanked on either side by temple guards approached his quarters. Seeing the look on Shen's face, he figured that this was what she was upset about.

"Master Bobo, we have been informed that several supplied have gone missing from the infirmary." The elder stated rigidly. "I am here to search Shen's quarters."

"What is the meaning of this?" He snapped aggressively. "Shen would never..."

"I did it father." She whispered. Master Bobo looked at her in shock. It just wasn't like her to act in such a way. "I'm sorry father, I've been training and I hurt myself. I stole some ointments so that Huan wouldn't tell you I've been getting hurt."

"Shen, open your room." One of the guards demanded. Shen averted her eyes from her father and led them to her room. She couldn't stand to see the look of disappointment in his eyes. She opened the door, allowing them in. The guards quickly found what they were looking for.

"That's everything." Shen told them, throwing back the covers of her bed to show the empty vials. "There's nothing else."

"Oh no?" One of the guards asked, reaching under her bed. "Then what about this?"

He pulled out a clay pot with a cork rammed forcefully into the neck. Shen's eyes were wide with shock.

"I stole the ointments, but that isn't mine I swear!" She rushed out. "I've never seen it before."

The elder uncorked the bottle, completely unconvinced by her testimony. He sniffed the contents. "It's Ling-Shu."

"It isn't mine I swear!" She shrieked. "Father, I swear it isn't mine!"

"You know what the punishment is for this Master Bobo." The elder stated. He pulled out a small clay pot. "Shen, turn over your animal spirit."

She looked at her father desperately begging him to make this not happen, but his hands were tied, she had been caught red-handed. She called forth her humming bird spirit, ordering it into the pot, where the elder sealed it with a cork.

"Take her into custody." He ordered one of the guards. He stepped forward, crossing Shen's hands in front of her body and tying her wrists together tightly with a length of rope. "You will both appear before the elders tomorrow morning. Until then, Shen is to be held in custody."

"Father, please I didn't do it!" She yelled again as the guards dragged her away. "You have to believe me please!"

"I do believe you Shen." He raced out as his daughter was dragged from their quarters. He hated to see this happening to her, he only wanted to talk to her and get her side of the story, but he knew they wouldn't allow him to see her before the conclave the following morning.

He sank into his chair and wept as he realised what this meant for her. The use of Ling-Shu was forbidden out with the guidance of the chief healer. The punishment for its use out with that was banishment from the temple. He wished there was some way he could help her, but they had found the pot in her room. She was caught red-handed. One way or another tomorrow was not going to be a pleasant day for the unfortunate student.


	5. Shen's Punishment

Shen did not have a restful sleep that night. She pushed herself up into a seating position as she heard the door opening. She looked up to see Aurelia and Mereilax entering the room. Anger burned inside her. She wanted nothing more than to attack them, to exact revenge for everything they had done to her, but the elders still had her animal spirit, and her hands were still bound tightly. It would have been a short-lived and futile gesture.

"So how are you my little one?" Aurelia taunted her, coming to Shen's side, stroking her hair. Shen felt the warmth rising in her at Aurelia's touch. She hated that she still had that power over her. She didn't want to still have these feelings for her, but she couldn't help it. She swiped aggressively at the Master, swatting her hands away.

"Now, that's no way to act, it's bad enough you're about to be expelled." Mereilax said in a casual drawl. "You really ought to learn how to behave."

"I had nothing to do with that Ling-Shu and you both know that!" She snapped in response. "I don't know why you're doing this to me, but I know it's your doing and so does my father!"

"Of course there's a big difference between what he knows and what he can prove." Aurelia answered softly. "He's probably already sitting around feeling sorry for himself. His beloved daughter's being kicked out and there's nothing he can do about it."

"Why did you do this?" She sniffed as a few tears began. "I've done nothing to you, why are treating me this way?"

"Because we knew that you're the source of Master Bobo's strength." He answered her. "Without you, he is nothing."

"So that's it?" She yelled. "You wanted to hurt my father?"

"What better way to do that than force him to watch his precious little Shen being banished in disgrace?" He continued, beginning to scratch his right forearm thoughtfully. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when you take the long walk."

"You won't get away with this." Shen snarled. "My father will find you out! He'll find a way to prove this, he..."

"He is already defeated." Aurelia interrupted her as they got up to leave. She turned her back on Shen, making her way to the door.

"We'll see you at the conclave." Mereilax told her.

Shen sat slouched in the corner, awaiting her fate. She knew it would not be long until the temple guards came to bring her before the elders. She wiped away a few tears as the hopelessness of her situation came to her. There was no way out for her, she couldn't prove that the Ling-Shu wasn't hers. She couldn't speak out against the masters; again she had no evidence against them. Speaking ill of them wasn't going to do any good, if anything it would make the elders even less inclined to believe her.

Master Bobo was busy getting ready in his bed chamber as he awaited word from the Elders to appear before them. He was worried for Shen, but he couldn't think of any way to help her. The guards would not allow him to see her before the conclave, and he simply couldn't think of any way to prove her innocence. He heard a small chap on his window shutters. Looking puzzled, he made his way over to the window and opened the shutters, finding Huan standing outside.

"Huan, what are you doing here?" He asked him. "You know we are not meant to speak before the conclave."

"Shen is to be banished; I don't think she can get in any more trouble through our actions." He responded. "I had to help you and Shen. I know she's innocent."

"I do too Huan." He replied. "But..."

"No, you don't understand, I know it couldn't have been her." He continued. "Look, so that I can keep control of the use of Ling-Shu, I keep it in a locked cabinet, but I also only brew seven vials."

"I don't understand." Bobo stated. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Because when I checked today there were still seven vials." He replied. "I checked them all myself, they're all still full."

"But the elders confiscated the vial they found under the bed." He gasped. "There was an eighth vial?"

"I never brew more than seven vials." Huan assured him. "Someone else knows how to make it."

"Well without knowing who, that doesn't really help us." He stated. "What can we do about this?"

"Well unless we can find out where that vial came from there's not much we can do." Huan told him. "In the meantime, I suggest you go and see Shen. I have a feeling your daughter's going to need you today."

"Thank you old friend." He replied, closing the shutters. Gathering the last of his things, he made his way from his quarters towards the holding room. He was going to be there to help her, no matter what it took, and the elders could be damned.

Back in the holding room, Shen looked up as she saw Master Bobo enter the room. She knew he wasn't meant to be there, and that the guards were likely going to inform the elders of his defiance, but she was so happy to see him. He made his way into her cell, hugging her warmly.

"Father, you shouldn't have come." She told him, though the smile on her face let him know that he had made the right decision. The poor girl had been victimised horribly across the past couple of days, and she needed someone in her corner.

"Huan knows you didn't take the vial." He assured her. "His stocks are untouched, there must be someone else making Ling-Shu."

"I'm glad someone believes me." She grumbled. "I can't believe this is happening."

"The elders are saying your erratic behaviour is down to Ling-Shu." He told her. "But we both know that isn't true."

"I've only taken the two doses Huan gave me to help my wound heal." She confirmed. "Other than that I've never taken it in my whole life."

"Shen, what's been troubling you so much?" He asked her. "Why have you been acting this way?"

Shen looked to the floor, unable to look her father in the face. She still felt ashamed at how she had been duped so easily. She still felt the anger and hurt welling up in her as she thought about how easily she had been led astray.

"Let's begin with why you stole the ointments." He encouraged her. "You said you've been hurting yourself in training. You know better than that. Who's been training you?"

"It doesn't matter, he'll only deny it." She sighed. "No one believes me anyway and it's my word against his."

"It matters to me." Master Bobo stated. "Who has been training you?"

"Master Mereilax." She told him sadly. "He's been pushing me really hard. I doubted him a little but he and Master Aurelia kept assuring me it was all part of the training. I was so hurt I knew you'd notice, but Master Aurelia told me how to get into the infirmary."

"Shen, why did you listen to her?" He asked her. "You know that stealing is wrong. Why would you listen to her?"

"She told me things, things that seemed to make sense." She explained. "She told me how she had to struggle to be taken seriously. She told me that..." She paused as she thought about it. She didn't want to tell him, she knew how stupid it all seemed now.

"What did she tell you?" He demanded. Shen couldn't look at him as she confessed everything that had happened.

"She told me you didn't respect me." She sobbed, finally overcome with everything that had happened. "She told me you'd only ever see me as a little girl, that I'd always be your daughter first and that you held me back. I'm sorry father, I didn't want to believe it, but it made sense, that's why I lost my temper when you were scolding me earlier. I thought you were patronizing me. I'm sorry!"

Master Bobo breathed a sigh of relief as he finally heard the full story. He knew that Aurelia could be manipulative, but this was low even for her.

"Shen, I have always respected you." He assured her. "You always have and always will make me proud."

He held her face, lifting her gaze to his own, looking into her eyes warmly. "The only thing she said which is true is that first and foremost you will always be my daughter." He told her. "I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt, that's why I hate what they've done to you. That doesn't mean I don't respect you."

"I'm so sorry I let them fool me like that." She said tearfully. "They didn't even care what happened to me. I thought they did, but the only reason they targeted me was because they knew it would hurt you."

"Well I will deal with them when the time is right." He told her. "In the meantime, I must prepare you for what is to happen to you."

"You should have thought about that before she became a thief and a liar!" One of the elders barked as he came into the room. He was flanked on either side by a pair of guards. "You shouldn't be here Master Bobo."

"My daughter needs me." He replied. "No one is going to tell me I can't be here. Not even you."

"Bring her." He ordered the guards. They grabbed her roughly, forcing her to her feet.

"She is not resisting." Bobo snapped at the guards. "There is no need for such treatment."

"We'll decide what treatment she deserves." The elder stated. "I think you need to remember your place and mind your tongue!"

Master Bobo was too enraged to respond. All he could do was accompany the guards as they led Shen into the main courtyard. She looked around nervously, seeing the full population of the temple there. All of the guards, the students, the Masters, even the entire council of elders were there. Clearly she was being made example of for her crimes. She hung her head low as she was paraded before their judgemental eyes like an animal. Arriving in the centre, she saw to her horror that there was a wooden frame standing in the centre of the square. Shen looked to her father, the fear evident in her eyes. Seeing a guard there holding a bamboo cane, she realised that they didn't merely intend to banish her. They were going to cane her too.

"What is the meaning of this?" Bobo roared.

"Shen, you continue to disgrace yourself and the temple by refusing to admit to your crimes." One of the elders announced. "Confess and you will be banished without further shaming Master Bobo's good name."

"You can't do this!" Master Bobo yelled in response as the guards held her in place. "There is no need for such sadistic treatment!"

"You forget your place Bobo." Mereilax sneered. "Shen has been caught red-handed and yet refuses to stop shaming you by confessing. The elders are within their rights to administer such punishment."

"She does not shame me with refusing to confess to a crime that she did not commit!" He snapped back. He glowered at the Sacred Triad, who all stood with each other, observing events with satisfaction. He knew that there was nothing he could do to prevent this. He turned to face Shen, looking into her eyes.

"Shen, I cannot bear to see you hurt." He implored her. "You and I know the truth, please, just confess so that you will be released without further punishment."

"I...I can't father." She stammered. "I cannot confess to something I didn't do. That is the only way I can truly bring shame to your name and my honour."

"Tie her to the frame!" One of the elders ordered. Shen didn't bother to struggle as they untied her wrists and led her to the frame. Two guards tied her ankles tightly to the foot of the frame, before lifting her arms above her head, tying them to the top. Shen Was left completely incapable of breaking free. Master Bobo put up a hand to stop the guard with the cane.

"This is barbaric, and I will not stand for it!" He snarled. "I demand that you release her at once!"

"You show such disrespect for the elders it is little wonder the child turned out the way she did." Aurelia stated. "It almost makes me question the nature of your relationship. After all it is clear there have been improper goings on in that house."

"You will hold your tongue you evil-minded hag!" He snarled. The head of the council by now had heard enough.

"You have one last chance to confess Shen." He told her. "Master Bobo, you are the head of this temple, you will bow to the will of the elders, and you will apologise for this outburst."

"I will apologise for nothing!" He replied. He ripped off his robe of office, throwing it on the ground. "If you insist on going through with this ridiculous farce, then you shall do so without me!"

With that, he stormed out of the main courtyard. As he was leaving, he noticed that Arctos was acting strangely. His hands were shaking slightly, and he looked edgy. He whispered something to Mereilax, before quietly slipping away. The elders however, were too busy concentrating on Bobo to notice.

"You two, escort him back to his quarters while he awaits our judgement. As of this moment, Master Bobo is no longer the leader of this temple!" He ordered two of the guards. They complied without question, following him. He turned his attention back to Shen as the guard prepared to begin. "Well, do you confess child?"

"I have done nothing." She reiterated, biting her lip and awaiting the pain to come. She closed her eyes tightly.

"100 lashes." He declared. "You may begin."

Shen winced as the first strike scythed into her back, slicing flesh painfully, but managed to keep from screaming. The second one was a lot harder to resist. By the time the third came, she no longer had the strength to stop herself. Tears streamed down Huan's face as he was forced to watch her unjust beating. He knew how much it would have pained Bobo to leave her, but he could understand him being unable to watch. He just hoped that sanity would return to the temple soon.

As the two guards followed him, they saw Master Bobo changing direction, heading not towards his chambers, but those of Master Arctos.

"Sir our orders are to confine you to your quarters." One of the guards rushed out. Master Bobo rounded on him, rage etched deeply on his face.

"I can hear my daughter screaming in agony from here!" He snarled. "If you want to try and stop me, then be my guest!"

He broke into a run, heading in the direction of the Bear Master's chambers, being followed by the guards. They both knew he would defeat them easily, and had no desire to take the chance he was serious about his assertion that he would oppose them. Bobo arrived outside Arctos' chambers, and with a powerful kick, sent the door flying from its hinges.

Arctos froze as he saw the Owl in his doorway. He had begun to feel the shakes of his withdrawal symptoms again and gone to take some more Ling-Shu. In his desperation, he hadn't realised that Bobo had seen his symptoms. The owl smiled as he realised his suspicions were correct. The two guards arrived behind him, looking in amazement as the Bear Master sat quaffing the potion.

"So, it seems Huan was right! He isn't the only one capable of making Ling-Shu!" He sneered. "I always suspected you to be a weak and pathetic man Arctos, but even I would not have believed you could sink so low!"

Arctos snarled and ran at the old master, though his momentum was deflected. He crashed through his cabinet, scattering vials everywhere. Bobo picked up a scroll, handing it to the guards.

"Take this to the elders. I have no doubt Huan will confirm it to be the recipe for the potion." He instructed them. The two guards realised how out of their depth they were caught between the two masters and complied, grabbing the scroll and fleeing as quickly as they could. "You are scum Arctos! I should never have covered for you that day! This is not the first time someone has been caned unjustly because of you!"

"We always knew it would end this way Bobo!" He snarled, drawing his bear claw weapons. "Bring it!"

Shen's body hung limply on the frame as the guard concluded her punishment. Her strength had all but completely gone, and she was incapable of standing. Huan rushed to her side at they cut her down, letting her fall limply to the ground.

"Leave her!" One of the elders ordered him. "She deserves no treatment. Let the unworthy wretch leave this sacred place on her own."

"The girl is innocent!" One of the guards shouted as they arrived from the path to Master Arctos' chambers. "Huan is not the only one who can make Ling-Shu; Master Arctos has been making it too."

He handed the head of the council the scroll, which he inspected it. He handed it next to Huan for confirmation.

"This is the recipe for Ling-Shu." He confirmed. "I told you none of my vials were missing!"

The conclave was interrupted as Master Bobo flew through the air, landing in a heap in the courtyard, before snapping back to his feet. Master Arctos arrived shortly afterwards.

"This madman attacked me in my own chambers!" He roared. "I demand justice!"

"So do I!" Bobo responded, casting forth his Hawk Owl spirit. Its claws though had no intention of attacking him, instead merely tearing the robe from his torso. The assembled might of the entire temple all gasped as they saw the markings crossing most of his right arm and torso. "He has forsaken the purity of his animal spirit! He is the true villain!"

Master Arctos looked around in horror as he realised his predicament. If he stayed, he'd have to face the combined might of the entire temple, and he was nowhere near ready for that.

"This isn't the end Bobo!" He snapped as he charged away into the jungle, quickly fading into the night. Master Bobo made his way to Shen's side with Huan.

"Let's get you to the infirmary." Huan said gently, helping her to her feet. "We need to get those wounds cleaned."

"Master Bobo, it seems we were mistaken about Shen." The head of the council stated as the others assembled behind him. "She will not be banished. Her thefts will not be punished by way of apology."

"I think it's fair to say she was punished enough." Bobo sneered in reference to her condition.

"We will also accept your apology and allow you to return to your position as Temple Master." He announced.

"Apology?" He asked incredulously. "What do I have to apologise for?"

"You spoke disrespectfully to us." He responded. "That cannot be tolerated. You will apologise for disrespecting the council!"

"It will be a long time before that happens." He replied, escorting his daughter away with Huan to be treated.

"Since Master Bobo will not accept his place, we have no choice but to elect another in his place." He responded. "Master Mereilax?"

The other elders all nodded in agreement. Mereilax looked to his lover and smiled. Despite the loss of their comrade Master Arctos, he now had more power than before at his disposal.

Meanwhile Master Arctos stumbled to his knees a little way from the stream. He looked down at his reflection in horror, seeing that now his mark was extending up his neck and onto his face. He slammed a fist into the stream as he realised the depths of his torment. Now he could never return to the temple. They all knew what he had done, and now he was forever marked for his betrayal.

"Trust me, that face was no great loss." Dai Shi announced from behind him. "Now you truly are alone in the world. Of course you don't have to be."

"Please, what could you offer me?" Arctos sighed. "I have nothing. I'm better off dead. Just finish me and get it over with."

"Not when I can give you more power than you ever thought possible." He replied. He seized Arctos' head roughly, and the Bear Master felt a painful burning sensation in his face. As he staggered back to his feet, he blinked to confirm his suspicions. Looking into the stream he could see that his scar was gone. Dai Shi had returned his eye to him.

"My eye!" He gasped. "You returned my eye!"

"I will give you command over all my land forces." He told him. "I wish to make you my Overlord of the Land, one of my most powerful lieutenants."

"Master Arctos had never considered joining Dai Shi, but he now knew he had little choice. Without the temple, he was nothing, a nomad awaiting merciful death. With Dai Shi though, he now had somewhere he could gain the respect he deserved.

"I want nothing of my old life!" He snapped. "Master Arctos dies this day."

"Then you will need a new name my servant." Dai Shi told him. Arctos took a knee before his new master. "Arise, Grizzaka, Overlord of the Land!"

"Grizzaka, I like it." He replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"For now bide your time and continue with your training. I have other projects to check on." He replied. "You will get your chance to prove yourself soon enough."


	6. The New Temple Master

Shen whimpered and moaned a little as Bobo and Huan finally reached the infirmary, helping her onto a bed. After carefully removing her robe, Huan rolled her onto her side so that he could inspect the wounds on her back from the brutal and unjustified torture of the elders.

"I'm really sorry Shen, but this is going to hurt. I need to clean the wounds and make sure there are no splinters left in there." He informed her as he pit a candle, bringing it close to her to get a better look. Bobo held her hand for comfort as he began the inspection.

"Thank you." She whispered weakly as the pain in her face became obvious. Bobo squeezed her hand sympathetically as Huan continued. He knew from personal experience this was not pleasant. "You believed in me."

"I always did Shen." He replied. "I'm just sorry they did this to you."

"They really did a number on her." Huan grunted as he satisfied himself there were no stray splinters in her wounds. One of the reasons he hated the elder's policy of using caning as a method of punishment was that occasionally the cane would split and crack under the impact, and splinters could enter the body unnoticed. Sometimes it was merely uncomfortable or painful, though it would not be the first time a student had ended up with an infection as a result of foreign bodies in their wounds. "I won't lie to you, you'll be feeling this for days, and this antiseptic's going to hurt like hell."

"Well THIS time you're going to take my advice and let your wounds heal aren't you Shen?" Bobo lectured her, looking into her eyes. She nodded her head in understanding. She was in no hurry to move, let alone start training again. Huan finished with the antiseptic and reached for a pot of ointment.

"This will help sooth some of the pain and help the skin knit." He told her sagely, beginning to rub some of it across her back. She shuddered a little at the sensation of the cold ointment being applied, though she had to admit it was certainly more pleasant than what she had been through up until now. Huan finished with her back and began with the marks on her wrists and ankles where the ropes had burned her painfully.

"I'll put dressings on the wounds; hopefully they won't scar too badly." He said to his old friend.

"These will scar?" She asked her father, her face still red from tears. He sighed and nodded. Realising he still wasn't wearing his robe; he stood up and turned around, showing her his own back. Shen recoiled in horror as she saw the tangled mass of red scar tissue.

"I was not allowed treatment because I was considered guilty." He informed her. "Huan's treatments will help."

"How...how many times?" Shen asked him.

"I was caned only once, but it was a serious offence." He informed her. "I was lashed 300 times."

"His back looked worse than the refectory's lamb stew by the time the guards were done." Huan recalled.

"Why?" Shen asked him.

"It was because of the time I injured Arctos." He replied. "Looking back now, I really shouldn't have taken that hit for him."

Shen looked at him a little puzzled by this remark.

"You are not the only one to be unjustly punished because of him." He answered. "On the day of his trial, he attacked me after the trial ended. I defended myself, and in doing so I cost him his eye."

"You never said anything about that." Huan gasped. It was true that Bobo had never told anyone about that incident, not even his closest friend. "He would have..."

"He would have been expelled." Master Bobo replied. "I thought that the first time he failed it was because he was concentrating on the elders and healers watching the trial. I asked that I be allowed to oversee his second trial myself. Since no one saw the incident and he had already lost an eye, I didn't want to cost him anymore, so I let everyone believe I had injured him carelessly."

"It's a shame you didn't foresee this back then." Huan grumbled, gesturing to Shen's injuries. "In hindsight it would have been better if he had been expelled."

"Nobody's perfect." He sighed. "Not even me."

"You did what you thought was right." Shen whispered, holding his hand. "I don't blame you, Arctos was to blame."

"You don't know how happy I am to hear that." Master Bobo replied with a smile, gently kissing her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."

A gently knocking came at the door, heralding the arrival of Master Orca. He was a man somewhat around Bobo's age, though considerably smaller and more haggard in appearance. His hair was white, and incredibly long, extending about halfway down his back. His beard and moustache blended into them. He wore only simple woollen robes of a dull green, indicating his position on the council of elders.

Usually when a Pai Zhuq master attained their level of age and experience, they were offered a chance to join the council. Since by this time most of them were already too frail through age and injury to be warriors any longer, most tended to accept the position. Bobo and Orca had both been offered the position at the same time, though Bobo had decided he still had a lot to offer the temple as far as his experience and power was concerned. While the Masters ran the day-to-day running of the temple, oversaw the training of its warriors and led them in battle, the elders spent much of their time in contemplation, keeping records, writing the laws of the temple and dictating policy. Bobo had decided he wasn't yet ready to retire to a life of reading books and voting on matters of protocol. While he planned to retire to the council one day, he wasn't ready to do so yet, and so had refused when Orca accepted.

"What does the council want now Orca?" Bobo asked him a little coldly. Orca looked down his nose at him through a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

"I was your friend long before I was on the council. I was there when you found Shen remember?" He reminded him. Bobo relaxed a little. He had forgotten that he had at least one member of the council he could rely on. "How is she?"

"I'll be fine." Shen replied bravely. She didn't know Master Orca as well as Bobo did, he had been accepted into the council when she was still young, and the elders rarely had much to do with the students, though as a friend of her father's, she had met him a few times early on. She knew that at one time they were close. While Bobo had refused the offer, Orca had suffered much more extensive injuries over the years. Even with a sturdy oak staff to help support his weight, his posture was still a little slumped, and he walked with a distinctive hobbling gait. He knew his days in the field were over and graciously accepted his place on the council.

"You're as brave and stubborn as your old man there." He said in reply. "You should be proud."

"Orca, she really should get some rest." Huan stated a little grumpily.

"Oh, sorry, I should get to the point." He replied, beginning to rummage through his robes. He pulled out a small clay pot. Shen smiled as she felt her humming bird spirit close by once more. He pulled out the stopper, allowing the humming bird to return to her once more. "I asked that I return her animal spirit. I had a feeling after your little outburst I'd be the best one to come and see you."

"Thank you Orca, that means a lot, really it does." Bobo conceded. "But if you're looking for that apology..."

"Look, can we discuss this in private?" He asked. "There's a lot we need to talk about."

"It's probably best Shen gets some rest anyway." Huan interjected, giving Bobo a little knowing glance. If a member of the council was willing to break ranks and discuss matters of the council, it was probably with good reason. "I wanted to check on her stitches anyway, and then I'll be giving her something to help her sleep. She'll be fine here until morning."

"I'll be back tomorrow." He told Shen, stroking her hair. He looked back to Huan. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"Any time Bobo." He replied as they left. He turned his attention back to the young woman in his care. He had been friends with Bobo for years, and he had mended his body more than a few times, but he always took a lot of pride in his friend's faith in him any time he had to take care of Shen. It was the ultimate honour for him to bestow, he trusted him with the thing that was most precious to him in the world.

Bobo and Orca made their way down the path, Bobo having to slow down to allow Orca to keep up. Arriving in his quarters, he gestured to Orca to take a seat, before pouring them both some Saki.

"I think after today we both deserve this." He told his old friend, handing him the cup. Orca accepted it, taking a sip. "Now, what are you here about?"

"Damn it Bobo, I've told you for years that you need to play the game a little." He said in a slightly exasperated tone. "Why couldn't you just swallow that damned pride of yours and apologise."

"I listened to my daughter scream herself hoarse for hours because of them." He said angrily. "She allowed them to cane her for a crime she didn't commit when she knew simply confessing would have spared her that pain. I couldn't give those short-sighted, miserable old fools their apology. We did nothing wrong, it would have defeated the entire point!"

"Bobo, you spoke to them like children. They felt disrespected, when they found out about Shen, they were humiliated." He explained. "They lost face, you can understand them needing to regain it. Having the Temple Master speak to them that way, it was important they regain the respect of the students."

"Well maybe they should try earning it for a change!" He snapped.

"Bobo, if nothing else, you left the temple in a difficult position." He informed him. "The vote to cane Shen was not a unanimous one, I opposed it. I was accused of being biased because of my friendship with you."

"Well I'm sorry if you look a little bad in their chambers." He snorted. "Excuse me if seeing the state of Shen's back makes me a little less than sympathetic."

"Damn it Bobo, shut up and listen!" He implored him. "I didn't support your decision to refuse the council position, but I respected it and I understood it. I know you can do more to help the temple as a master than as an elder."

"So what's your point?" He asked.

"You need the support of the elders." He told him. "They make the laws around here. When you were elected temple master, it was a split vote. I cast the deciding vote."

"I know that Orca!" He yelled. "So..."

"This time it was a unanimous decision." He replied. "I'm already under observation for opposing Shen's punishment, so I couldn't also vote against them..."

"They're replacing me?" He asked incredulously. "Who is it?"

"Damn it Bobo, that's why you should have just swallowed that damn pride of yours!" H chastised him. "Without a Temple Master, they voted to elect another. Now you can't protect the students."

"Protect them from whom?" He asked. Right on cue, Mereilax arrived in the room, wearing Bobo's robe. Aurelia arrived in behind him, smirking with delight at the look of shock on Bobo's face.

"Master Orca, so pleased to see a member of the council here, it'll save me a trip to their chambers." He began. "Master Bobo, I just wanted to come and offer you another chance to apologise for your shameful behaviour today."

"What, for exposing Arctos as the two-faced, evil-spirited tyrant he's always been?" He asked. "Or for standing up for an innocent girl?"

Mereilax felt his jaw clench a little at the mention of Arctos' name. He knew all about him planting the Ling-Shu in Shen's chamber, that was his part of the plan, but the fallout had shocked even him. He couldn't stand against the rest of the temple, but that didn't make watching one of his friends be drilled out of the place like that.

"I think I should remind you that Shen was not innocent." He hissed coldly. "She confessed to stealing."

"And she has been punished." He replied. "So what am I to apologise for?"

"You will present yourself before a conclave at noon tomorrow to apologise to the elders for speaking out of turn and submit yourself to their judgement." He informed him. Aurelia looked to be on the verge of laughing at this point. Bobo looked to Orca, who could only shrug apologetically. This was Mereilax's first act as Temple Master, to convince the elders to publically humiliate Bobo for his disrespect. Orca had wanted no part of it, but the council had been humiliated and wanted to regain face.

"I can't, I have done nothing wrong." He stated. "I also have a class at noon, now I have overlooked the fact you entered my chambers uninvited, but now I must rest before my class tomorrow."

"Well, you leave me no choice." He began with an evil grin. "Since you continually refuse to acknowledge the rule of the elders, and you continue to show them such disrespect, I have no choice but to relieve you of your duties."

"Excuse me?" He asked incredulously.

"Until you accept the decision of the elders, you will not be permitted to teach students." He said with a satisfied smirk. "You need to learn your place."

"This is not the end of this Mereilax." He snapped, standing up, nose-to-nose with the new Temple Master.

"I think it is." He chuckled as he and Aurelia left. "You know what to do if you want to come back."

Later that night, Mereilax and Aurelia met in his bedchamber. He awaited her arrival, with scented candles already lit. She came into his room, carrying a bottle of wine with her.

"Congratulations Temple Master." She cooed enticingly. She crossed over to him, kissing him softly. "I always knew we would end up here some day."

"Well we always were a cut above the others." He chuckled. "Maybe if Master Bobo was spending a little less time concentrating on the girl and a little more on his position, he'd still have control here."

"Well, we've already taken almost everything from him." Aurelia mused. "Now he can't even teach his own students."

"Well I'm sure we won't mind giving them a few lessons of our own." He responded, holding her closely. They both casually slugged some wine, looking longingly at each other in the warm glow of the candle light. Aurelia slowly peeled off his robe, kissing him passionately.

"Well I think it's time we celebrated properly." He chuckled, throwing her onto the bed. He leaned over, though it was only as he propped himself up on his arms over her that they finally got a look at his right forearm. Aurelia scooted to the top of the bed, gasping as she say that just like Arctos, his Master's mark had begun to spread.

"My mark!" He breathed in disbelief as he glared at it in wide-eyed amazement. "What's happening to me?"

Aurelia in her panic ripped off her own robe, revealing that her mark two had spread. It was now running most of the length of her forearm.

"We need to do something!" She shrieked. "We need to stop this! We can't let the others see this!"

"After what happened to Arctos, we'd be banished for sure." He responded in a panicked voice, pulling his robe back on. "We need to find him!"

"Arctos?" She asked.

"He knows better than us what's happening. Maybe together we can figure out a way to reverse the effects." He suggested. "If we manage it, then as Temple Master, perhaps there's some way I can convince the elders to let him return."

Aurelia merely nodded in response, already well aware of the desperation of their plan. This was not what they expected at all. They had finally won; they had finally ascended to the position destined for them. Now this thing looked set to make them lose everything.


	7. The Temple Master's First Day

Mereilax came into the central courtyard the next morning, a little nervously. He still felt uneasy after discovering that his master's mark was beginning to spread. It hadn't grown any larger since last night, but that still didn't make him feel any better. As he saw his rapidly-expanded class, he satisfied himself with his victory over Master Bobo. Since he was banned from teaching, his classes had been split between both Mereilax and Aurelia. He loved the fact that he had now taken all but his home from the man that had held him and his friends down.

"Class to attention!" He yelled, bringing them into line. He cast his eye over the students, all lined up by rank. He recognised most of them as his own students, who were all clearly thrilled to be training in the main courtyard for the first time. Only the students of the Temple Master trained there, and it was a mark of prestige to train there. Looking through the assembled students, he also saw a couple of not-so-happy faces. Master Bobo commanded a lot of respect in the temple, and rumours of Mereilax's ruthless training methods abounded. Most of Bobo's students were far from happy about his treatment. Mereilax looked forward to breaking their resolve and turning them into his students.

"Who's missing?" He asked as he came across a space in the front line. He already knew, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to assert his authority.

"Shen isn't here." One of Bobo's students replied. Mereilax strode through the ranks, standing nose-to-nose with the young man, looking down on him.

"Then go and get her." He told him.

"But Huan said she is not to train." The student stammered. Mereilax just laughed.

"So much for Bobo's star student." He remarked, raising a laugh from most of the students. The young man before him wasn't laughing though. Shen had obviously earned this student's respect. Mereilax could tell from the look on his face that he disapproved of her treatment.

"I'm the Temple Master, I think I should decide who is or isn't fit to train." He responded, turning on his heel and walking away.

"Only in name!" The student shot back before his good sense could stop him. Mereliax turned back to him, glaring at him in disgust.

"Punishment drill. 500 push ups on your knuckles over there." He snapped, pointing to the corner. "You two take the class and get them warmed up before I return."

Two of Mereilax's students stepped forward to begin the classes' warm-up drills as he left to see the chief healer. He was not about to let some little girl cause a rift in his class. All of the students would be his, even if he had to destroy her to make it happen.

Shen woke up, still feeling stiff and sore as a result of her recent punishment, but a lot healthier as a result of Huan's attention. He came over to her with some tea, sitting next to her. She picked up the cup, taking a sip.

"The rope burns are healing up nicely." He told her. "The wound to your abdomen has knitted; I'll be able to remove your stitches today."

He noticed Shen's face dropping and turned to see Mereilax standing in the doorway. Huan Turned to face him.

"Shen, you were due in my class twenty minutes ago." He announced.

"Shen is in no condition to train." Huan told him, confronting him. "She will return to class when she is well."

Mereilax looked at the old healer, angered by his defiance.

"I am the Temple Master." He reminded him. "The training of the students is my responsibility..."

"With all due respect." Hun interrupted sarcastically. His tone held no hint of respect or fear. "You have only held the position for one day, so I presume you are unaware of protocol. When a student is injured, their welfare becomes MY responsibility. I hold authority over students in the infirmary."

"Do not dare to question me old man!" He snapped. "She is not injured..."

"Check with the elders if you do not believe me!" He yelled in response. "Shen was admitted to the infirmary, and is in my care. Until I release her, she is my responsibility, and I make the decision if she is fit to train. I will inform you when she will return to class."

Mereilax could see that Huan had no intention of backing down. Losing his temper, he grabbed his robe, hauling him onto his tip toes.

"I already disposed of Bobo." He hissed quietly. "You would do well to remember that and know your place."

"Is there a problem here?" Bobo asked, arriving in the room. Mereilax released Huan and turned to face him.

"I guess you have nothing better to do today." He sneered. "This isn't the end of this Huan, I will be back for her."

Bobo moved aside to let him leave. They all knew of his deceit, but whether they liked it or not, Mereilax was now the Temple Master.

"You shouldn't have done that." Shen told him. "I could have gone with him, I could have..."

"As long as I am the chief healer in this temple, no patient will be taken from my care until I am satisfied." He interrupted her. "I will not allow anyone to come to harm in my care."

"But Mereilax will harm you! You shouldn't have put yourself in danger for me!" She shrieked. "I'd never forgive myself if..."

"The sanctuary of the infirmary is a rule the elders will never over rule." He told her cheerfully. "Funnily enough even the old goats on the council can see that allowing our students to become crippled is foolish. Mereilax forgets that although he has power, there are those with authority even HE cannot over rule."

"I appreciate you standing up for her." Bobo told him, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. He knew that it took a lot of courage for Huan to stand up to Mereilax. "I have a feeling though that we can expect more of this from them."

"I really wish you hadn't refused to return to your office." Huan told him. "I know you did it on a point of principal, but now it's the students who will suffer."

"You know, that is one thing I will agree with you on." Master Bobo replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "But I think I may have a way to correct that."

"Good luck my friend." Huan called after him as he left. He turned back to Shen, smiling at her.

"Now, let's take a look at that back of yours." He stated, picking up some ointment. Shen smiled and turned onto her side, pulling down her robe. She had been worried about reprisals from Mereilax and Aurelia, but now she knew she was protected. Nothing could happen to her.

Aurelia had dismissed her class early, and was frantically looking around the jungle. Rolling up her sleeve, she recoiled again in disgust at the spreading of the mark on her forearm. It was now what threatened her power and prestige at the temple. She was desperate to know if there was something that could be done to halt its spread, preserving her appearance. She stopped cold as she heard a loud snap behind her, spinning around to face a hideous bear-monster. She shrieked and stumbled, finding herself on the ground. The monster stopped in its tracks and shifted form back into Arctos.

"Aurelia?" He asked her. "What are you doing here?"

"Arctos, your face!" She gasped, seeing the difference in her comrade's face. His scarring was gone, and his eye had been returned to him. He had long-since abandoned his robe, and so she could see his markings crossing the entirety of his right arm, torso, neck and shifting down his left arm. Some of it had crept so far up his neck, it had begun to spread onto his face. Aurelia shuddered to think of her mark spreading that far. She treasured her beauty, which was what had gotten her where she was. It was her beauty that had attracted her lover and gotten her into the triad. It was her face that had bewitched Shen and allowed her to manipulate Bobo into resigning so she and Mereilax could seize control. She touched his face gently. "Your eye..."

"I had my eye returned to me by one more powerful than I could imagine." He told her. "So what of your business here? Why did you seek me?"

She reached down to her right sleeve, pulling it up so that Arctos could see her mark.

"So you are to be banished too?" He asked.

"No, no one knows yet, only Mereilax, and his is growing too." She told him. "After Bobo was deposed..."

"Master Bobo was deposed?" He interrupted loudly.

"He refused to apologise to the elders and was not allowed to return to his office." She informed him. "They chose Mereilax in his place."

Arctos smiled as he heard this. His defection to Dai Shi had been a difficult decision, he still had received no further instruction from his new master. Now he had a feeling there was a way to curry his favour.

"So what do you want from me?" He asked her.

"I was hoping you had found some way to reverse this." She told him. "I'm sure Mereilax can convince the council to allow you to return..."

"That will never happen." He interrupted her again. "The council will never..."

"But they must!" She shrieked. "You are our most powerful warrior! It would be foolish to let you go!" Arctos could see the panic in her face and smirked at her. He knew the real reason for her fear. She was always incredibly vain, he knew she was more concerned with losing her looks than with any genuine interest to see him return to the temple.

"But you have realised our true problem." He mused. "I have done nothing but seek to make myself more powerful, and yet that is evil? They cast me out and abandon me after years of loyal service because of a matter of policy!"

"But what can we do?" She quizzed him. "The elder's word is law! Even the Temple Master cannot defy them!"

"And yet they do nothing to help the war effort." He replied. "Of course if they were no longer around..."

"You mean..."

"The elders are the true enemy!" He stated. "They are the ones who have held all of us back. Who is it who has forbidden relationships, forcing you and Mereilax to hide like rats?"

"The elders." She replied.

"Who is it who insists we do not access the full extent of our powers, thus denying us the power our enemies wield against us freely?" He pressed on.

"The elders." She repeated.

"Who is it that is still holding us back, even now when Mereilax leads the temple?" He asked her again.

"The elders!" She hissed. "What do we do?"

"We take them out of the equation." He told her.

"But they are defended at all times." She reminded him. "The temple guardians, the masters, they are never left undefended!"

"Besides, now Bobo will surely be watching you for anything he can use to dispose of you." He mused. "I think it's time the Owl was put to sleep."

The following morning, Mereilax decreed that he was going to be taking all the students this day. Aurelia had explained to him the plan, and so he knew she would be occupied for the rest of the day. All the students assembled on the courtyard.

"Attention!" He yelled, prompting them to line up. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Master Bobo arriving at the back of the class.

"Master Bobo, you have no business here." He informed him. "You must leave!"

"I intend to, I merely as a matter of respect wished to let you know where I was going to be in case I was needed." He replied. "I shall be training by the lake."

"I thank you for this information, now go!" He barked. "I have a class..."

"And I do not." He responded. "Of course I would not mind if anyone wished to train alongside me."

Mereilax glared after him as the old man left to go to the lake. He was unsure what he was up to, until he saw the students becoming restless. The student he had reprimanded the day before looked to the blisters on his knuckles, before turning and walking away, following Master Bobo.

"You are not excused!" Mereilax snarled.

Just then another two students also turned and left. As he watched, slowly but surely, more and more left, following the Owl Master until he was left with only his own students. All the others had followed Bobo off the temple grounds.

"You two, take the class!" He snarled, before storming off in the direction of the Elder's chambers. He had been made a fool of, and he was far from happy.

In the infirmary, Shen stirred from her sleep as she became aware that there was another person in the room. Turning to look up, she saw that it was Aurelia.

"I just wanted to see how my favourite victim was doing." She cooed, sitting on the bed. She began stroking Shen's hair softly. She tried to pull away, but couldn't. Despite everything, she still had feelings for the female master. She still felt good at her touch.

"Go away." She breathed, though the strength was gone from her voice. She genuinely knew that it would be best if Aurelia left, but a part of her still wanted her to be there with her. Aurelia leaned down closely, allowing her hair to touch Shen's face. She could feel her breath on her cheek.

"You know, with the power we have, Mereilax and I could change a lot around here." She whispered. "We could make it acceptable..."

"Please, just go." Shen pleaded with her as her tears began. She prayed that neither Huan nor Bobo would come into the room. She was sure they would turn on her if they knew of her feelings for Aurelia. The Master just laughed and turned Shen onto her back.

"If you want me to go, then stop me." She whispered, leaning down and pressing her lips to Shen's. It was then that she made her mistake. While Shen still felt the warm glow in her presence, the kiss was nothing to her. She could feel the lack of sincerity and passion in her touch. Although it was what she had wanted, she did not want to feel like this. She felt cheap, and worthless at her embrace. There was no doubt that Aurelia was using her. She finally shoved her away a little, a look of anger on her face.

"Get off me!" Shen yelled, making some space. Having enough room, she placed a foot on Aurelia's chest. "Get off!

Aurelia stumbled off-balance as she was pushed roughly away by the young student. She felt a hot, searing pain as she stumbled into the opposite wall, her face colliding with a mirror, shattering it. Pulling away, she could feel the warm, wet trickle as blood leaked down her face and her neck onto her robe. Aurelia collapsed to her knees, picking up a shard of the mirror, beholding in horror the extent of her injuries. Multiple cuts had opened up across her forehead, cheek and jaw line. Bright red blood was leaking down her face. She mopped blood frantically with a cloth to see the extent of the damage, shrieking in horror.

"My face!" She screamed, realising how extensive the damage was. She rounded on the young student as Shen got to her feet from the bed. Aurelia yelled as she threw herself at Shen, though she underestimated her. Shen called forth her humming bird spirit, knocking her to the floor. Aurelia got up, and broke off the fight as her blood flowed more freely. She ran from the infirmary, screaming into the jungle with Shen in hot pursuit.

Bobo was completing his training along with the majority of the temple's students when Mereilax arrived with the head of the council, Master Rus. The Elder looked almost as furious as Mereilax as he arrived.

"What is the meaning of this Bobo?" Rus Yelled. "You were specifically ordered to cease teaching!"

"Did I teach any of you?" He asked with a cocky little smile. "Did I issue one instruction?"

"No Master Bobo!" They all chorused together.

"He came to my class and took my students!" Mereilax protested. "He told them..."

"Did I ask any of you to come here?" He asked.

"No Master Bobo!" They chorused in response. Bobo just shrugged. "I was training here, and others decided to train with me."

"You are undermining the council and the Temple Master!" Rus roared.

"Like I said, I asked no one to do anything." He replied, looking to Mereilax. "But it seems some of your students elected to skip your class."

Mereilax looked to Rus in protest, but the elder could find no flaw in Bobo's argument. As long as no one would say he instructed them, then he was abiding by the word, if not the spirit of the elder's edict.

"You know if there are students playing truant from your class, then you really should reprimand them." Bobo suggested to Mereilax. The Hawk Master's face twisted into a mask of hate. As long as none of them put Bobo in the firing line by saying he defied the elders, then strictly speaking each of them was simply taking the personal decision to play truant, and it wasn't as though he could exactly punish almost the entire student body. Bobo looked around and breathed a little sigh.

"This is such a beautiful place to train." He commented loud enough for all the students to hear. "I think I may train here again tomorrow!" With that, all the students left.

"Master Bobo!" Huan yelled as he stumbled into the scene, breaking the tension between the assembled masters. "The infirmary's a mess and Shen's gone! It looks like there's been a struggle of some kind."

Master Bobo and the others all followed Huan back to the infirmary finding the scene of destruction left behind by the earlier fight. Bobo bent down, picking up a shard of the mirror, noticing there was blood on it.

"We have to find her." Bobo yelled. He ran from the room with Huan, leaving Mereilax and Rus alone in the ruined infirmary.

Shen meanwhile continued her pursuit of her tormentor, finally arriving in a clearing. Aurelia wept loudly as she observed her face in the stream.

"Now you are as hideous in the flesh as you are in spirit!" She stated.

"You are going to pay for this outrage!" Aurelia growled. "Mark my words you will pay!"

Shen surged forward, only to find herself being blindsided by a hard punch from Arctos.

"Master Arctos?" She asked, looking up at him in amazement. She was shocked to see that he now had the use of his eye back, and that he still stood with Aurelia.

"Do not dare to call me that!" He sneered. "Arctos was nothing but a pathetic human. Call me...Grizzaka!"

He shifted into his beast form, confronting the one who had caused him so much trouble. Shen knew she should flee, Bobo and the other Masters should know of Aurelia's treachery, but she was overcome with fury at seeing her tormentors before her. She launched to the attack, scoring a couple of well-placed kicks early, before pulling away from his counter.

"You have learned girl!" He snorted. "But it will not be enough!"

She launched herself high into the air, bringing both feet down onto his shoulder, striking it hard, before landing on her feet.

"Grizzaka!" Aurelia yelled, launching a handful of sand into Shen's face. She staggered, unable to focus, only to find herself in Grizzaka's strong grip. He lifted her off her feet, before driving her back down across his knee in a destructive arc. Shen's scream resounded around the Jungle as she collapsed to the ground, fighting for breath. She already couldn't feel or move her legs, and so she knew that her back had been broken. Grizzaka grabbed her with one hand, hoisting her off the ground, her feet dangling uselessly beneath her as he drove her against a tree. He looked into her eyes, taking a sick pride in her fear.

"Don't cry little girl." He told her as his claws sprang forth. "Your father will join you soon enough."

He drove the claws into her chest; twisting them and smiling as he felt the last of her strength leave her. He threw her broken corpse dismissively to the ground. He felt a rush of energy run through him as for the first time he had taken a life in cold blood. He realised that he had achieved his ambition at last. Arctos truly was dead, he was now lost to his animal form, unable to regain his human form.

"You know that you will never be able to return." He Aurelia. "Your injuries will give away your part in this act."

"I want no part of that place anyway!" She sneered, looking at Shen's corpse. "I guess now we seize power for ourselves."

"That was always our destiny." He told her, ripping off the sleeves of her robe. Aurelia looked down to see her mark now completely covered her right arm. "I will now introduce you to the one who will allow us to attain the respect we deserve."

"Good evening Aurelia." Dai Shi began, stepping into the clearing. "Or should I say...Jellica, Overlord of the Sea?"


	8. Shen's Funeral

Master Bobo raced through the Jungle, not even registering the branches pulling at his clothing and whipping at his flesh. His heart pounded ferociously in his chest in a combination of exertion and terror as he searched frantically for his daughter.

"Shen!" He roared again. His voice was straining with the effort, and his throat was already raw from screaming her name. When Huan had told him she was missing, his heart froze solid within his chest. He pushed his way into the clearing, Huan stumbling free of the undergrowth a little way behind him.

"Shen!" He called out again, scanning the riverside. His heart stopped as he saw the crumpled, broken form of his daughter lying, unmoving on the ground. He raced to her side, tears streaming down his face. Inwardly, he prayed he was wrong, but he already knew she was dead. He turned her over onto her back, looking disbelievingly into her lifeless, staring eyes.

"Shen! Please say something!" He begged her, shaking her. "Shen!"

"It's too late Bobo." Huan whispered as he arrived by his side. "Her heart's been pierced, she's gone."

Bobo lifted her limp frame into his arms, holding her to his chest and wept. She was barely cold to the touch, she hadn't been gone long. He cradled her to his chest, weeping loudly for the only family he had, rocking gently.

"Bobo, it's too late." Huan told him again. "You have to let her go."

"I can't." He sobbed, gently holding her head to his shoulder. "I can't let her go Huan, I just can't."

"You have to Bobo, she's dead." He stated, placing his hand on his friend's back, stroking it gently. "There's nothing I can do, she's dead."

Bobo looked at him through tearful eyes, wordlessly begging him for it not to be true, but knowing that he was right. He would never see her beautiful smile, or hear her voice again.

"I know how much this must hurt, but we have to go." He whispered. "I'll help you take her back to the temple."

"No, I'll do it." He replied, placing his fore finger and middle finger on her eyelids, closing them. "I'll take her."

Kissing her forehead softly, he picked her up and rose to his feet, carrying her back to the temple for the last time. He had raised her since she was less than a year old, now he had lost her.

Back at Dai Shi's fortress, Grizzaka and Dai Shi arrived with Aurelia. She held a makeshift dressing, formed from Grizzaka's discarded clothing over her face as she entered.

"You will never have to struggle for respect here." Dai Shi told her. "You will be revered as you deserve to be. As my overlord of the sea, I will give you full command over all my sea creatures. You will no longer have to bow and scrape to the elders."

M...m...my face." She stammered, pulling the blood-stained clothing from her face, revealing the multiple deep cuts on her face. "C...can you restore my face? As you have done with Grizzaka?"

"Sadly no, I cannot." He replied, feeling a level of satisfaction at the pained expression on her face. He had more than enough power to heal her wounds, but knowing of her vanity, he knew that was the best way to manipulate her. "I can only restore damage done byan animal spirit, which is how I was able to return Grizzaka's eye. Your injuries are not mystical in nature, I can do nothing I am sorry."

"But..."

"Sadly, you will have to carry your scars from the battle with Shen." He informed her.

Aurelia looked at her feet, her tears falling. She felt no pity at Shen's murder, she knew she was leading her to her doom. All she could feel was a burning anger at the loss of her beauty. Her fists tightened.

"You said you could give me more power." She sighed, resigning herself to her new life. If she would no longer be an object of desire, then she would be an icon of fear. She would become the most powerful woman ever to walk the earth. "What must I do?"

"Simply access your animal spirit." He told her. "The full power of your animal spirit."

"Do it Jellica." Grizzaka willed her. "I too wasted years bowing and scraping to the will of the elders, but you have seen the power that my beast form gives me."

"What of Mereilax?" She asked.

"He is free to join us if he wishes." Dai Shi informed her. "You must let him know what has happened, and why you will not return."

Her heart sank as she thought about this. Although their affair had started out of a mutual vanity, it was now a lot more to her. She could never admit to it, she would never reveal any weakness, but she was in love with him. The thought of losing him terrified her.

"I shall go tonight." She whispered through her tears. "The others will be distracted by the girl's death."

"Master Bobo will be at his weakest now." Dai Shi commented. "Perhaps it is time we invited him."

"Leave the invitation to me." Grizzaka sneered. "I've been looking forward to getting my hands on that old buzzard for years."

Back at the temple, Bobo sat in the infirmary, still completely heartbroken over the loss of his daughter. He surveyed her body, thinking about the day she had come into his life. He reached out a hand, stroking her hair. She looked peaceful now, as though merely sleeping. At least now she would have a peace she could never find in her life.

"I'm sorry Shen, I should never have left you." He whispered. "I've failed you as a father."

"You've never failed her, never once." Huan told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I could see it in her face every time you came into the room. She loved you."

"But I couldn't save her." He sighed. "She was too young."

"I doubt anyone's ever ready to die." Huan told him. "She idolised you, you were everything to her..."

"That's what got her killed." He responded. "I never wanted any of this for her. I never wanted her to enter Pai Zhuq..."

"That was her decision, not yours." Huan interrupted him. "She was always going to follow in your footsteps. If you remember rightly, she took the decision out of your hands."

"She went to the other masters." He replied in a chuckle, remembering the day. He wiped some of his tears away with his sleeve. "I only agreed to train her when I realised she was going to train one way or another."

"I know you wanted her to have a normal life." Huan stated. "I know you wanted her to get married and have children and..."

"She would never have children." He interrupted. "She was not...traditional...in her interests."

"So you knew." Huan said in a sigh of relief.

"Please, I've raised her since before she could walk, I've always known." He replied, staring at Huan in disbelief. "That's one of the reasons I didn't want her to train. She took her vow far too young. I only wanted her to be happy. I know she tried to hide it from me, but I would never have turned on her. I've only ever wanted her to be happy."

"Maybe you should have said something." Huan suggested. "She only kept it from you because she thought you'd be ashamed of her."

"I could never have been ashamed of her." He replied, looking at the body of his daughter. "I loved her."

"Bobo, the council of elders have instructed the students to erect a pyre in the main courtyard." He informed him. "She will be cremated tonight."

"She would have liked that." He replied, smiling. "She would have wanted to be laid to rest here."

"Bobo, what I'm going to say next is going to be hard." Huan warned him. "The wound in her chest, the one that killed her..."

"I know who did this." Bobo responded coldly. "I know it was Arctos."

"It's only natural, but you mustn't blame yourself." Huan continued. "Even though Arctos..."

"If I had done as I was meant to none of this would ever have happened." He sniffed, looking back to his daughter. "If I'd reported his actions to the elders after his second trial..."

"He would have sought revenge then." Huan interrupted him. "The only person to blame for Shen's murder is Arctos. Him and him alone."

"I'll see that bastard buried." Bobo snapped, his eyes cold and unfeeling. Huan knew he was serious, Shen had been everything to him, and Arctos had taken her from him. "I swear I will see him in the ground or I'll join Shen in the next life trying."

"She wouldn't want you to throw your life away to avenge her." Huan said, trying to reason with him.

"You are mistaken my friend, I am already dead." He replied, looking at him, his jaw clenching in rage. "I died on that riverbank with her. The man you knew is gone forever. All I have left is ensuring that Arctos doesn't get away with it."

Darkness fell over the temple, and the air took a cold turn as the elders and students finished preparing the funeral pyre. Mereilax sat in his chambers, staring at his master's mark. It had grown again since the morning, now extending as far as his upper arm. He didn't even notice as Aurelia entered through the window.

"Mereilax." She whispered, rousing his attention. He turned around, but recoiled sharply as he saw the tangled mass of stitches and cuts on her face. He had realised things hadn't gone to plan when she went to lead Shen into Arctos' grasp, but he wasn't prepared for this. He could see the look of hurt in her eyes as she noted his reaction to her disfigurement.

"I'm sorry." He gasped. "I had no idea she had hurt you like that."

"Arctos doesn't know how to reverse the growth of our marks." She told him, trying to push past her thoughts at his hurtful reaction to her injuries. "I can never return to the temple, between my mark and my face, everyone will know of my hand in the girl's death. I have no choice but to join Grizzaka..."

"Who?" Mereilax asked.

"Arctos has taken on his beast form. He has forsaken his humanity to achieve the ultimate power. He now calls himself Grizzaka."

"He has turned to his beast form?" Mereilax asked.

"My love, we have always known that we are more than what we have become!" She whimpered pathetically, grabbing his arm. "Despite all we are and all we've become, if we remain we will always be puppets to the elders!"

Mereilax thought on her words. He could understand why she would flee the temple with Arctos, but he hadn't had any such thoughts himself. He remembered how despite taking his place as Temple Master, the students still backed Bobo. He remembered in anger how the elders did nothing to punish his disrespect when he stole the students from him. His frustration built as he considered his impotence in trying to wrest the respect he deserved from the elders and the students.

"The elders will always have the rule here." He stated.

"Maybe not always." Aurelia suggested. "Maybe they will one day...disappear?"

"You speak of treason." He put down flatly.

"When they learn of your mark they will turn on you as quickly as they did Arctos." She reminded him. "We've risked our lives for this place more times than I can count, we've ascended to levels of power unmatched by the other masters, and yet that bunch of senile old men still order us around like common students!"

Mereilax tried to counter, but he couldn't. She was right, as much as the elders did nothing to help the temple, they still ruled it. Even as Temple Master, he was still a slave to their commands. He slammed a fist into the wall in frustration.

"The only way we will ever attain control is to take it!" She snarled, turning him to face her. "Dai Shi has already given me more power than the elders ever will."

"You have sided with Dai Shi?" He asked. Aurelia nodded.

"We've had it wrong all along. The elders have done nothing but hold us back. Dai Shi encourages us to seek our power."

"Grizzaka too?" He asked.

"We both have command of his forces. I am his Overlord of the Sea, and Grizzaka is now his Overlord of the Land."

"I guess now he's looking for an Overlord of the Sky." He mused. "If this is to happen, we will need the elders to be left defenceless."

"Leave that to Dai Shi." She stated. "We can concentrate on their assassination."

"Soon we will have all the power and respect we deserve." He sneered. "I will command the guards and the Masters to march against Dai Shi's forces. Then we will act."

"Soon you will be by my side again my love." She said seductively, stroking his chest. "Soon the world will look up to the Overlords. Jellica, Grizzaka..."

"And Carnisoar." Mereilax concluded. "Go to Dai Shi and tell him he has his Overlord of the Sky."

Meanwhile in the main courtyard, the students, the masters and the elders were all assembled for the solemn occasion. It was not the first time a funeral had been held in the temple, but it was the first time a student had been murdered by a fallen master. Bobo, Huan and two students acted as pallbearers, carrying a wooden stretcher bearing Shen's body to the pyre. There were a few tears among the assembled group. Shen had lived almost her entire life in the temple, and had made quite a few friends there. The stretcher was laid gently atop the funeral pyre, at which the students joined their comrades.

"Shen was well known and respected here." Huan announced. "She was taken from us far too early. Her passing is a tragedy, one that it will take a long time to recover from."

Bobo leaned over her, brushing some hair from her face, and kissing her forehead softly.

"Goodbye." He whispered. "Goodbye."

He turned to face Huan, who was carrying a torch, and gestured for it. Huan handed it to him, before taking his place among the others. Bobo looked over her once more, begging for her to awaken, to tell him that it was just a bad dream, but he knew it wouldn't happen. He didn't want to light the pyre and acknowledge that she was gone, but he knew he had to. He thrust the torch into the base of the pyre igniting it, and returned to Huan's side.

He watched as the flames claimed her, burning and consuming the only family he'd ever had. Tears ran down his face and his fists clenched as he watched her burn. This injustice would not stand. He wouldn't allow it. Arctos had taken everything that mattered from him. He wasn't lying in what he had said to Huan. As far as he was concerned, he had died on the riverbank with Shen. The only thing he had left was vengeance. The vengeance he would have on the Bear Master, even if it cost him every painful breath left in his body.


	9. The Bear and the Owl

The following day, Huan went to check on his friend. He knew that Shen's death had been a devastating blow to him. She was all he really cared about; it was because of her he had handed back the position of Temple Master over the elder's unfair treatment of her.

He had known Bobo long enough to know that he was almost certainly going to seek vengeance for her brutal murder. The wound which killed her was unmistakably that of a bear claw, and there was only one person who wielded such a weapon. Even if she hadn't been stabbed with the brutal weapon, there was only one person who would have a reason to kill her. Shen had been the cause of Arctos' banishment, and so he was almost certainly the only one who had anything to gain by her death.

Huan arrived at Bobo's chambers to find the old master praying to a small shrine. It was a sketch of Shen trimmed in black ribbon. He was praying over his short sword and so Huan already knew what this meant. He was praying for vengeance.

"Bobo, you know this isn't what Shen would have wanted." He stated, alerting Master Bobo to his presence. The old man looked at him through his reddened eyes, the testament to his sleepless, tear-filled night.

"Vengeance is all I have." He whispered gently. "Her death will not go unpunished."

"Bobo, you have to think about this." He implored him. "I loved Shen too, but she isn't the only one who could suffer because of this."

"She's dead Huan!" He reminded the healer.

"Exactly, so there's nothing you can do for her." He stated. "But there are other people in the temple."

"The elders don't want me to defend this temple anymore." He hissed. "They have Mereilax for that."

"You and I both know of Mereilax treachery." Huan reminded him. "Aurelia is gone; I think it is safe to presume she had something to do with what happened to Shen."

"What are you talking about?" Bobo asked him.

"The fight began in the infirmary." He reminded him. "Arctos is not exactly the greatest proponent of stealth. If he had tried to enter the temple grounds he would have been seen. Whoever attacked Shen in the infirmary had to be someone with access to the grounds."

"Then you believe Aurelia did this?" Bobo asked him.

"If she's involved, then it seems likely that Mereilax is too." He continued. "Bobo, we need you here. If they are planning something..."

"Then the elders will get what they deserve." He snarled pushing past his friend on the way out. "Goodbye my friend."

Huan watched him go with tears in his eyes. He had tried and failed to reason with him, but he knew that Shen's murder had blinded him to logic. If they really were planning to betray the temple as he suspected, then Bobo as the only one who saw through their lies was quite possibly their only hope.

Meanwhile in Dai Shi's fortress, Grizzaka sat, meditating as he awaited the inevitable. He knew that sooner or later Master Bobo would come looking for him, it had been part of his plan ever since he'd asked Aurelia to lure her into the jungle. Aurelia meanwhile was busy concentrating her energies on accessing her beast form.

"You are close to realising your true potential Jellica." Dai Shi told her as he entered the room. She pulled her hair in front of her face, trying to hide the scarring left by the collision with the mirror. She still felt an intense anger in her as she remembered the fight with Shen. Not only had Shen fought her, not only had she scarred her perfect face, but the worst part of all was that she rejected her. No one had ever rejected her before. The tangled mass of cuts and stitches stood as a permanent reminder that she was not irresistible as she once believed. Shen had dared to turn her away and in doing so had marked her hideously.

Of course she was becoming marked anyway. Looking down to her master's mark, she saw that it had grown since then, now extending a large way across her chest and up her neck, beginning to creep onto her cheek. She remembered the child's devastating words. She was becoming as hideous on the outside as she was in spirit. She felt the tightness in her chest as she recalled with sick satisfaction helping Grizzaka to murder her. The child had gotten what she deserved; she had been made to pay.

"I will be ready for the ascension my lord." She replied, bowing to him. "I will be ready to take my place at the head of your forces."

"Excellent." He replied. "So everything is falling into place."

"Exactly." She replied. "Carnisoar will do his part when the time comes. Soon, the entire world will worship at our feet."

"We are expecting company." Dai Shi stated. "And I think it is about to arrive."

"Leave that to me." Grizzaka snarled, getting to his feet and beginning to make his way outside. He was preparing to face the Owl master for what he was sure would be the last time.

Outside, hundreds of Rinshi bounded around the main courtyard awaiting the rival of their uninvited guest. Master Bobo did not disappoint. Soaring high above the Jungle in the talons of his owl spirit, he bared down on the seemingly impossible odds with the determination of the insane. On any other day he would never have attempted to tackle such odds, but his grief had relieved him off all logic.

The Owl spirit dropped him to the ground where he rolled back to his feet, slicing down the first couple of warriors with his sword. His powerful owl spirit swooped down, smashing many of them into oblivion.

Bobo ploughed through their ranks, not even noticing their blows as he rained down blow after destructive blow, making his way through their ranks. His owl spirit meanwhile was tackling them from the other side, slashing through them with its talons and its beak, destroying them completely.

The owl spirit returned to him as he found himself in the centre of a circle of the bonding warriors of fear. He must have single-handedly destroyed nearly half of them already. His fury was truly terrifying to behold. Tears stained his face as he prepared for the battle to come.

"Arctos!" He screamed, his voice echoing around the fortress as he yelled. "Come out and fight me you coward!"

"I'm afraid you're too late old man, Arctos is already dead." He heard the voice come from the main building. The Rinshi moved aside to let him through as he advanced on the aging master. "I am Grizzaka."

"The depths to which you will shame your father and your temple know no bounds Ling!" He sneered, referring to him by his true name for the first time since he'd earned his stripes. Grizzaka felt the anger in him building as he referred to the weakling he had once been. "You have forsaken everything pure and good about yourself. Grizzaka, Arctos, I don't care what you're calling yourself now. You will die beneath my blade just the same!"

"We both knew it was always going to end this way old man!" Grizzaka snarled as he drew his claws. "We've known since the first time you dared to stand against me!"

Bobo surged forward with a savage cry, his sword rebounding off Grizzaka's claws in a shower of sparks, before feeling the Bear Master's other set of claws rake across his chest. He staggered and looked up at his foe.

"I now have more power than ever!" He screamed. "You will never defeat me!"

"Then you have learned nothing!" Bobo responded. "You always were more powerful than me Grizzaka, you have been since the day you entered the temple. I have never defeated you with power. I have always defeated you with the three things you will never possess, control, courage and heart!"

"Words old man, words and nothing more!" He sneered.

"Then prove me wrong Grizzaka." He replied. "Face me one-on-one."

Grizzaka waved off the Rinshi, who faded and disappeared into nothing, leaving them alone in the courtyard. Master Bobo tightened his grip on his sword as he prepared to send Grizzaka to his grave.

Meanwhile Dai Shi sent his forced to march on the temple. Hundreds of Rinshi backed up by dozens of his most powerful warriors made their way through the Jungle of Spirits towards the temple. Their numbers caused the very ground to shake as they advanced. The guards on the outer perimeter immediately lit their signal fires as they saw the army approaching.

"We're under attack!" One of them screamed into the courtyard where Mereilax was training the students.

"All guards and Masters immediately gather in the courtyard!" He barked in response. "All students under 16 report immediately to the healers for other duties."

The younger students grumbled and left as they realised that "other duties" meant they'd basically be barricaded into the refectory with the healers to await the all-clear to come out. Huan remained behind just out of sight to see what was happening. If the attack was of the scale to cause this level of panic, then he knew he and the other healers would soon be working overtime to cope.

"You guards remain with me and barricade the council in their chambers for their safety." He continued his instructions. "The rest of you, prepare to march on the invading forces!"

Huan rushed to Mereilax's side, something about this didn't feel right.

"Master Mereilax, surely we should observe their movements first." He suggested. "We must keep the temple secure."

"Leave the leadership of the temple to me healer!" Mereilax snapped. "Go and barricade the students in the refectory as you are meant to."

Huan already knew that this was a bad idea. Without Master Bobo's wise leadership, he was concerned, more so since he knew that Arctos had defected to Dai Shi and would likely be leading the attack, and no one had seen Aurelia since the night Shen died. He watched the assembled forces of the masters and the guards leave as Mereilax lead the remaining dozen guards to the council chambers.

"This just isn't right." He commented to himself. "This isn't right at all."

He followed at a safe distance as Mereilax led the guards to the council chamber.

"Master Rus, the temple is under attack." Mereilax informed the head of the council. "We are here to protect you."

"Dai Shi is attacking the temple?" He shrieked. "What of..."

"The others have already gone to intercept them." He informed them. He turned to the guards, gesturing to two of them.

"You two, come inside with me, we shall be the last of defence." Mereilax ordered them. "The rest of you seal the doors and stand guard."

Huan just observed them. He knew the other healers could take care of the students; he just had a feeling that something wasn't right.

Back at Dai Shi's fortress, Bobo sent Grizzaka flying through a wall with a powerful attack from his owl spirit. He struggled to remain upright as he followed him. Grizzaka was indeed more powerful than he could have imagined. He might not have had the wisdom of Bobo's years, but he had already inflicted significant damage on the old bird. His breathing was ragged, and he could taste his own blood as he hauled himself towards his fallen opponent. He was dying and he knew it, but he didn't care. All that mattered was taking Grizzaka with him before he fell.

"Do you want to know what Shen did before I killed her?" Grizzaka taunted him, looking up at him. His own injuries were severe, and he knew he was close to being defeated. It frustrated him to think that the old buzzard would defeat him in their final meeting, and so wanted him to feel as much pain as possible. "She begged for her life!"

"You're lying Grizzaka!" He snarled, slamming a kick into his face. "That is the one thing she'd never do, because she had more courage in her heart than you've ever had!"

He prepared his sword for the final blow, levelling it at Grizzaka's throat when a bright blue tentacle wrapped itself around him, completely binding him in place. He screamed in pain as he felt a dagger plunging into his back. Jellica stood over him as he slumped to his knees.

"You really are an easily manipulated, sentimental old fool Bobo." She sneered, turning on him. He looked on her new beast form in disgust. "It was so easy to get you to abandon your duties at the temple. All I had to do was hurt your precious little daughter."

"You are not fit to speak of her hag!" He wheezed as his breath left him and his strength failed him. He tried to fight free of her grip, but he was already too drained to do so.

"Well she thought I was fit to do far more than speak of her." She taunted him. "I suppose you should know of the improper advances..."

"I know all about Shen's interests!" He interrupted her. "You cannot hurt me with that. I just pray she saw through your lies and deceit before the end!"

Jellica flinched a little, looking away and covering her face with her hand. Despite not having visible scarring in her new beast form, she still felt the burn in her chest as she recalled her rejection.

"That's it isn't it? She saw through you!" He snarled. "She saw you for what you are and your ego wouldn't allow you to accept the fact."

Jellica turned to face him again. "Shut up!"

"Mereilax is a weak-willed fool! He would have fallen for any pretty face to show him a second thought." He grunted, feeling his strength going. "I knew of your affair all along, I just never paid it any mind. You were always nothing."

Jellica plunged the dagger into his chest in rage, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Well don't worry; you and Shen will not be alone for long. Dai Shi's forces are marching on the temple as we speak." She informed him. "Mereilax has ordered all of the temple's forces forward to meet them. Guess who's defending the elders and the students?"

Bobo's eyes grew wide in horror as he realised at last what Huan had been trying to warn him about. In his pursuit of vengeance, he had left the entire temple in Mereilax's care. Now he was left alone with the students and the elders. Without anyone who knew of his treachery there, they were defenceless.

"Now you get to die knowing that it is you who is responsible for the fall of the Pai Zhuq temple." She hissed, driving the dagger into his chest one last time, piercing his heart. She dropped his corpse to the ground, leaking his lifeblood onto the cold stone as Grizzaka regained his composure. She felt the warm rush of power surging through her as her power increased, sealing her forever in her beast form.

"Come now Jellica." Grizzaka stated. "Our destiny awaits."

Back at the temple, Mereilax paced the room impatiently as he awaited his comrades. The Elders were beginning to get a little restless under his watch.

"Mereilax, calm down." Master Rus ordered him. "I'm sure our forces are doing fine."

He heard a loud crash from outside the door and smiled. He noticed the Elders shifting uneasily in their seats as they heard this.

"What's happening?" One of the guards yelled.

"My destiny!" Mereilax replied as he pulled out a pair of daggers, ramming one into the guard's back. The other guard watched in horror, frozen to the spot by the Master's betrayal. Mereilax swung around, slicing his throat open, spraying blood in a wide arc as he fell to the floor. Master Rus stared at him in horror as blood splattered across his face.

"Mereilax, what is the meaning of this?" He screamed. Mereilax though had already shifted into his beast form, taking on the true form of his hawk spirit.

"Mereilax no longer exists." He sneered, throwing open the doors. They looked on in terror as Jellica and Grizzaka strode in, stepping over the broken corpses of the remaining guards. "My name is Carnisoar."

He pulled the doors closed, barricading them once more.

"The rule of the elders is at an end!" Grizzaka roared. "Now it is the time of the Overlords!"

...................................................................................

Back in Master Phant's cottage, he was reaching the end of his story. Gabby listened intently to the tale as he recounted it.

"In that single night, the entire council of elders was butchered by the Overlords." He continued with the tale. "It was only because of Huan's belief that there was something wrong that the temple survived at all."

"What happened?" Gabby asked him.

"He opened the refectory and let the students and healers out." He told her. "They joined up with the remainder of the temple's forces at the battle site and went into retreat. By the time they could return from hiding, the temple lay in ruins, many of the masters were lost in the battle, and the elders were dead."

"So that's why the temple's in Ocean Bluff and not in the Jungle of Spirits." She surmised.

"Huan and the remaining masters knew they needed a site of greater strategic defence." He continued. "So they built the new temple in the current location, though they continued to use the original temple for the master's trials."

"So what about the council?" She asked. "What did they do about the loss of the elders?"

"They formed a new council out of the most senior masters, though in recognition of his services, Huan was given the title of head of the council." He replied. "They rectified many of the mistakes of the elders. For a start, they made the interactions between the elders and the Masters a more democratic process. Realising that it was Shen's heart that led her astray, and the necessity to bolster their ranks, they overturned the mandate against relationships in the temple. Finally, they made the teaching of this legend essential study for anyone becoming a student of the temple."

"Why?" Gabby asked him.

"If we do not learn of the past, then we are doomed to repeat it." He answered. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"I'm still a little tired." She conceded. "But are you sure about...?"

"Shen was a good and noble woman. The Hummingbird only chooses those of pure heart." Master Phant told her. Gabby called forth the tiny, infant spirit into her hand and looked at it, smiling.

Fin.


End file.
